Elaina
by foxymalon64
Summary: A tale of love, deceit, passion, death, life, and Narnia. Just read it. I will be revising chapters to make the story better after I finish the whole thing...and get more reviews! Ch18 replaced, 20 up, working on 21. Almost done! :D
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ok, so, i like my story ideas, so get over it if you dont, NO FLAMES ACCEPTED! I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN! but, if you like my ideas, then tell me sothatyou might get a spot in my will. alright, so i'm a hopeless romantic so this is gonna sound just a bit cheesey at times...**

* * *

He first saw her at the Christmas ball. She was the most beautiful thing Edmund had ever seen. She had long flowing black hair and glowing, caramel colored skin. Her eyes were a soft, gentle gray and her smile seemed to brighten the room. That night, she was wearing a rich red velvet dress, trimmed with gold and ivory white sleeves. Instead of a large showy crown, she wore a humble golden circlet among her brow. There was a confusingly exquisite aura surrounding her. Yet he was the only one to sense it. He didn't even know her name. She was standing, talking to a faun and a dwarf, who both seemed completely in their minds. Edmund could hardly handle her beauty from where he sat on the dais. He couldn't take his eyes away from her. 

"Edmund," Peter said, startling him. "Why don't you walk around a bit and socialize? Who are you staring at?"

"Oh, er, no one in particular," he answered, quickly standing and turning his head.

"Come off it, Ed. Who?"

"Do you see that woman over there? The one in the red dress?"

Peter grinned. "I see her."

"What's her name?"

"Well, I'm not sure. Why don't you go ask?"

"I think I will," he stood and looked back at her again. "Maybe after I have another glass of wine."

"Go ahead, it should jolly well help you loosen up a bit," he slapped him on the back and with a 'good-luck' wink, walked off.

Edmund proceeded to a table laden with crystal goblets filled with deep red wine, greeting Dryads, fauns, Naiads, and the Giant Rumblebuffin on his way. He looked again to the lady. She was ravishingly beautiful. What would—just then, she looked up at him. Time stood frozen for a moment and the single thing Edmund could hear was his heart beating hard against his chest. _So lovely._

Forgetting about the wine, he decided to keep going to her. _You have to move, nitwit,_ he told himself.

"When you approach her don't forget to bow," there was Peter's voice in his ear again, causing him to jump slightly. "And say 'my lady, I believe we are unacquainted'. And please, do try not to forget your name like you did with Lady Evelina."

"I hope I won't. What if I do? You know me, Peter, I have the worst time with women."

"Just relax, brother. She's only a woman."

"I think more," Edmund muttered after Peter had gone away again. He felt so young. Here he was, twenty years old and he still got giddy over girls. What was wrong with him? He mustered up every ounce of courage he could find and sauntered on over. Perfect timing, the others were just walking away. She turned her eyes on him now.

"My lady, are believe we I unacquainted." _Nice, you idiot! _

"Yes," she began, grinning slightly. "We unfamiliar are believe I." She had a lovely celestial voice. They stood awkwardly for a moment.

"Let me try that again," Edmund said, blushing so red that a bull from two miles off would have stormed him. "My lady, I believe we are unacquainted. I am Edmund, king of Narnia," he bowed, still feeling a bit thick. "And you are...?"

"I'm Elaina," she curtseyed with a giggle, no more like a light laugh. Giggle wouldn't do it justice. "Princess of the Dimitius Isles, and a guest in your house, sire."

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"No, the honor is all mine, I am sure." She smiled.

"So," Edmund began trying to make conversation. "Is this your first time here? At Cair Paravel, I mean."

"Yes it is. It is incredible. I have never seen anything so magnificent."

"Shall I give you the grand tour, then?" he asked, offering his arm.

"That would be nice," she responded, taking it.

He went through all the rooms, describing each tapestry, noting the handiwork on the suits of armor and thoroughly enjoying himself. Elaina seemed to be, too. She unhesitantly asked questions and looked on with the wide-eyed wonder of a child and a glittering, genuine smile. They went through the banquet hall, —where a dwarf and a badger were still snacking— up the marble staircase and out onto the terrace over-looking the sea. The moon was full and almost at her highest and shone her light on them and the shimmering ocean. It was a beautiful cloudless night; the countryside had been covered in a thick, glistening blanket of snow and the stars winked and twinkled down at them. It was chilly out and a gentle North breeze blew around them.

"And now, I end the tour with the Narnian sky and the sea. Thank you for stopping by and have a lovely evening," he said, letting go her arm and leaning on the stone banister.

"Well, thank _you_ very much for an enchanted evening. I say, it was much better than talking to that stuck-up dwarf about mining," she leaned forward on the railing next to him and sighed contentedly. "I shall have to come back sometime."

"Oh, leaving so soon?"

"I'm going back in two weeks. I'm considering this my vacation."

"So, milady, what is Dimitius like?"

"Ah, yes, Dimitius. The winters are long but not too harsh. The summers are warm, but never hot. But my favorite time is Spring, when everything is new and the trees begin blooming again. The Dryads send me their best blooms on the first day of April. It's lush and green and so full of life, somewhat like Narnia, only smaller. If you should ever like to visit, my home is always open to you."

"I believe I should like that very much, by your bidding of course."

"That would be nice. So what about you?"

"What about me?" Edmund asked with a chuckle and a grin.

"Who is King Edmund of Narnia?"

"Well, I was thinking of telling you that maybe Saturday morning at brunch?" He replied, straightening.

"I could never pass up such an offer." She smiled and stood. She looked up at the moon and gasped. "Oh, look! It's midnight. Thank you very much, Your Highness." She curtseyed. There was a roar from within when all shouted "Merry Christmas" as we do now when we say "Happy New Year".

"No, thank _you_ my lady," he bowed, took her hand, and kissed it. "And please, call me Edmund."

"In that case," she said with a wry smile. "Call me Elaina."

"Merry Christmas, Elaina."

"Merry Christmas, Edmund."


	2. Chapter 2

Edmund was pacing the floor of his room. He wasn't worried about not greeting Elaina at the door, she would be announced and he could hurry down. No, he was worried about what in the name of Aslan he was going to talk to her about. He walked over to his mirror and stood for a moment.

"Hello Elaina. Wonderful to see you again." He paused. "I'm fine, how are you? Your stay in Narnia going well I presume? No, no, no. Elaina!" And so he stood before his mirror and tried different greetings. No matter what, nothing seemed right. Suddenly, he felt incredibly..._girlie._ "Get a grip, Ed!" he told himself.

"Queen Elaina sires." _Oh, no, she's here already! _He checked himself in the looking glass quickly before walking down the stairs into the foyer. As it turns out, he didn't have to worry about his introduction after all.

"Hello Edmund," she said sweetly, giving him a short curtsey.

"Hello Elaina," he returned bowing. "How is your stay in Narnia coming? Oh, please come in. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you. Well, it's coming rather well, very relaxing. I love ruling Dimitius, but sometimes it's nice to take a break."

"Oh, so do you have someone standing in for you?" he asked,wondering why he never got a real break, andleading her into the parlor.

"Yes, my younger brother Killian. He's a little immature, but he's all right." They sat down on a couch, a large, soft one, and Elaina kept talking. "He tries too hard to be the best in everything. He's smart enough to ask for help when he needs it, but he's full of pride. I hope he grows up someday."

"He will," Edmund said with a chuckle. They sat for a moment more, awkwardly. "Would like to take a walk with me?"

"Edmund," she said with a laugh. "It's cold."

"Yes, but not as cold as it has been. It's getting warmer."

"You are insane. Oh, alright," she said, grinning. Truth be told, she could not resist the little-boy-look on his face.

They got up and went out the back door into the garden. Well, it wasn't much of a garden because the trees were bare and no flowers grew. Snow concealed the ground and the sky was a pale blue. It was cold, but it was "a winter wonderland". They were simply walking, enjoying the other's company. Edmund looked over at where Elaina was walking and found himself alone. He looked around curiously and suddenly...WHACK! A snowball hit him on the back of the head. It broke and sprayed him with a shower of snow. Elaina's laughter came from behind a bush close by. She came out, doubled over.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" she exclaimed, still laughing when another snowball came and hit her on the shoulder. She looked at Edmund, with a comical gaping mouth.

"Why, Edmund, didn't your mother ever tell you it's not nice to hit a lady?"

"Well, you threw one first." He replied with a goofy smile. They both laughed and had a snowball fight. Yes, rather childish, but fun. By the time they were each covered in snow, they were slower and didn't follow eachother as quickly. Edmund hid behind a tree. He could hear Elaina's footsteps close by. He jumped out and let fly. Nothing was there but a rabbit. So instead of hitting Elaina, the snowball sailed over and missed the hare by a few inches.

"'Ey! Watch yourself mate!" the fluffy bunny cried. "Oh, a thousand apologies, Your Highness."

"That's alright." He replied, turning back to the tree. SMACK!

"I got you," she said teasingly. "I think that we should go—" and then, without even thinking, Edmund kissed her in mid-sentence. He broke from her and she looked up at him.

"I—I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I shouldn't have. I just—I'm sorry—I—"

"Don't be," she whispered, putting a finger to his lips. She pulled his lips to hers gently.

_Wow,_ was the only thought in his head.

Next thing he knew, he was awake in his bed with a throbbing headache. Light was pouring in through the wide stained-glass window of his room. He shoved his head under the pillow. _Too much light! Ugh, why does my head hurt so badly? _He tried to remember what he did the day before that might have caused this. For about ten minutes, he was completely blank. Then, he remembered a small bit of what happened last night...

They were sitting by the fireplace, with two empty bottles of wine beside them. He was pouring two more drinks from another bottle, already half-empty, but he kept missing the goblets and splashing the floor because he was laughing so hard. So was Elaina. What they were laughing about was a complete mystery to both of them. They were sure something had started it, but now, it didn't really matter. Edmund hiccupped. Unless you have not guessed yet, they were drunker than a pair of mules.

Soon, they both were worn out by the alcohol and proceeded to lean back against a wall. He kissed her forehead. They sat there, completely content with eachother and themselves. They had almost fallen asleep on the other's shoulder when Peter barged in, loudly asking what the were doing and why Elaina was not back at the inn. Then after that, he vaguely remembered being dragged to his bed, he himself too drunk to walk up the stairs alone. Now he was here.

"Ugh," he grunted. "Peter is going to kill me."

**oooohhh! things are going kinda fast, i know, but i hate it when stories go slow. i like to get to the good stuff quick, so DEAL WITH IT! lol, just joshin' ya'll. REVIEW, I SAY! REVIEW! and thanks to the two i got about and hour after putting this story on here.**

**elenamindollin, Ed's looks will come in time...but where to put that in...ok, here's a thought, he looks like Orlando Bloom only a tad bit younger...so he's really hott.**


	3. Chapter 3

Elaina awoke, feeling dizzy and nauseous and yet at the same time, complete happiness. Suddenly a headache gripped her and she, like Edmund, remembered a few events of the previous night. She was now back at the inn, well, cottage she had been staying at before. What was today? Sunday. She would be going home in a few days. Hopefully she would have time to say goodbye to Edmund. She remembered him calling her "Ella" several times the night before. Normally, she could not stand nicknames, but it seemed to have a certain ring to it.

"Now, what shall we do today?" she wondered aloud. "Ugh, I will not _do_ anything if this irritating headache does not go away. Perhaps the market..." she left the shutters closed, herself knowing that the light would be even more of a nuisance, and got ready for, well, nothing really.

* * *

"So," Peter snapped as he entered the throne room. "You are up?" It wasn't really a question, more of a statement.

Edmund sat there, on the cathedra feeling slightly lethargic and very young. Although he had had a perfectly goodnight's sleep, there were dark rings under his eyes, thanks be to the wine he had shared with Elaina. Peter always did treat him like this every time he didn't do something right.

"Ed, I need to talk to you. In private." Peter looked at the servants standing near-by. They left with quick bows and shut the doors behind them. "I don't trust her."

"What are you talking about?" He asked sleepily.

"I mean, what if she's a spy? Hmm? What of her then?"

"Oh don't be daft, Peter. She's not a spy." He chuckled.

"Edmund, please! She got you drunk!"

"Well, not exactly..."

"What do you mean 'not exactly'?"

"Alright, so it was really my fault. But what are you going to do about it, huh? Forbid me from seeing her? You may be High King, but I still rule over my own life. And I'm not a kid anymore so stop treating me like it. I can make my own decisions." He stumbled off of the dais and walked out of the throne room angrily. Peter crossed his strong arms across his chest, shook his head, and sighed.

"Will you ever grow up?"

* * *

Edmund stared past the horizon as he traveled across the sea. The small ship, well, boat he was traveling on drifted slowly along with the cool night air. They were following a small, bright star that lead them eastward, Elaina had told them to pursue that dwarf star until they came to a densely forested island.

"You really can't miss it," she had said. "All you have to do is trek after Seren, the ever-shining star toward the sunrise."

She had given him a medallion, so he would be recognized as a friend. He looked at it. Inscribed into its bronze plating were the words "NECESSIAS NON HABET LEGEM".

"It means 'necessity has no law'. That is our land's motto." She had smiled as she told him another taboo of her home.

"Well, what if there is a law that one must forfeit his life?" he had asked. "Would 'necessity' have to be relinquished instead?"

"No, it does not matter what the negative consequences for oneself are, as long as one has achieved the greater good." They had continued walking through a barley field that led into Lantern Waste.

The sun was now setting behind them and the moon was rising before him, just barely appearing over the skyline. A few more stars peeked out in the darkness, lightening up the dark twilight sky. There was no land insight, for now. He was already tired and decided to call it a day.

The next morning, he awoke to the sound of gulls, screeching at each other and catching up unfortunate shallow swimming fish. The sun had risen not 30 minutes ago. Already, he could make out a faint line of a small island.

"Land ho!" Cried a voice from the crow's nest.

The smell of the ocean engulfed him and surrounded him. A wave broke on the starboard side of the ship and misted him with water. Quite refreshing. As they journeyed on and came closer to the island, there was a new smell, a sweet smell. A smell of flowers and...something else. Something foreign.

They pulled into the harbor and were greeted by a number of strange creatures, that is, a number of creatures strange to us in this world. Minotaurs, satyrs, a dwarf or two (Black Haired dwarves, mind you), and a willow tree spirit who introduced herself as Elswyth, which is a very appropriate name. Elswyth led them through the small market and up to the castle where again, they were greeted by odd beings. Four large centaurs guarded the gates. When they saw the medallion, he was allowed to pass and went through the barrier into the courtyard. It was an overflowing maze of flowers and trees that filled the place with ambrosial scents and bright contrasts. Fauns were happily at work in the nursery, trimming and watering and inhaling the delicious aroma.

"Edmund! Up here!" Called a voice from an overhead balcony. He looked up and saw Elaina leaning far over the parapet, grinning widely. She quickly skipped down the stairs, her pale, silky violet dress flowing gently behind her. She greeted him with a quick peck on each cheek—which was seen as greeting a friend in their culture. "Wonderful to see you so soon. I really was not expecting you 'til later."

"Well," he said. "Would you like me to leave then come back later, Ella?"

"Oh, stop it." She laughed lightly. She proceeded to lead him throughout the palace, which was filled with color and flowers abundant. Through open shutters, a breeze blew causing the sweet smell of the blossoms to spread everywhere throughout. They spent the day on a long walk really. They walked slowly through the garden, the market, and a strange forest that left one feeling slightly dizzy from the intoxicating smells.

"There is a festival approaching soon, in two nights, in fact. I hope you will be there?" she asked as they sampled a soft, sweet tasting, and smelling, bread.

"Of course," he replied grinning. "I would love to."

"Wonderful."

As night drew near, they made their way back to the castle. Standing on a balcony over-looking the westward facing vineyard, he took her hand, looked deep into her eyes, and said,

"A thousand times goodnight," he whispered and kissed her lightly.

"Goodnight. Will you take my carriage?" she whispered back feeling as if in a trance.

"No, I think I fancy a walk," he grinned. She returned the smile. They stood a few moments more. Finally, he kissed her hands, her forehead and left.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: revised this a bit...but i can't remember my revisions...is that a bad thing?**

* * *

Their solstice festival lasted until dawn in the Market Square. It was filled with artists painting murals and portraits; musicians playing and singing songs of old; jesters, mimes, chefs and their food, animals, bakers, traders, hagglers, butchers, storytellers lively spinning their tales and many others. Men, women, children, and any other creature that was there—speaking ones—were dressed in bright garments; reds, blues, yellows, greens and oranges just to hit the tip of the ice burg. It was loud and easily caught Edmund up in the excitement.

He walked among them amidst all the hustle and bustle. Of course, Narnia had markets like this, just none of them so energetic and outspoken. And there was that scent again, the one he had smelled as they had approached the island before, only this time stronger. As he continued, he found the source of it: there was an ancient tree growing strong from the very center of the market. Its bark was white and the leaves were velvety green. Its blooms were mostly black, infused with a deep, sensual blue. The aroma was so powerful now that—even though a good ten feet from it—it was enough to make him feel groggy.

"That is the Tree of Ahreddan," said a high pitched voice behind him. It was a faun child looking up at him with big brown eyes. "It's been growing since the world was made." Edmund squatted down to the boy's level and chuckled. His tiny horns almost blended in with his curly black hair.

"Oh really? And how do you know that?" he asked.

"Because, it is the oldest legend of Dimitius. You see the markings in the stone around the tree? It is said that Aslan himself wrote that there."

"Aslan?"

The boy nodded solemnly.

"And what did he write?" Edmund asked, now enticed by the mention of the Great Lion.

"No one knows for sure. Even the oldest cannot tell. They say it is a secret that will be revealed in time. I think it has old magic in it that's why it's still around. Not the more recent magic but the kind that Aslan used to come back from the dead after the White Witch killed him." Edmund had a momentary flashback of that battle and how everything changed when Aslan came into it, how they had won, and most of all how he had nearly died.

"You think it has magic? Well, that makes sense to me." He smiled at the child and stood. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a distinct purple, the color of royalty. He saw Elaina dressed in some kind of thin cotton (he presumed) that revealed as much as it hid. The—surprisingly—only florist on the island had constructed a crown of lilacs that was elegantly placed upon her brow. He looked back to the boy. He had run up to her with a broad smile. Forgetting all formalities, she hugged him tightly, like she would family. Instead of talking, she spoke to him in hand signals and responded in kind. She bid him farewell and greeted Edmund with, again, a kiss on each cheek.

"Poor boy, that Jonas," she muttered as they watched him chase a chicken.

"Why? He seems fine to me."

"He was born deaf. He has never heard the sounds of the market. Not the people nor the music nor even a bird." Edmund looked at her a bit more than puzzled.

"He listened and spoke just fine a moment ago."

"Really? Well, I don't know about that. Oh!" she pointed to the stage set up by a seamstress' booth. "I think the skits are about to start. Well don't just stand there, come on."

They spent the remainder of the day watching performances, eating exotic new foods (they even tried something neither had ever heard of called Whakami stew...whatever Whakami was), browsing shops and mostly artwork, listening to poets and musicians and Edmund being introduced to people he would never remember later. Finally, night came and the children were sent away. Even more wine was brought out and the merriment continued. Eventually, at about eleven, an old, graying yet vigorous dwarf hopped onto the stage and raised his hands for quiet. Everyone settled down a bit and took their seats. Elaina led Edmund to a rather random stool near center stage and ran off to a small appendage to the right; several followed.

"Now," began the slightly tipsy dwarf. "Lords and ladies, Dwarves and Damsels, boys and bonnies, welcome to tonight's grand performance. As many of you know, like myself, the lovely Princess Elaina has danced in this festival for the past ten years and her mother—Aslan rest her sweet soul—before her. For those of you who have not seen this nor know of our traditional game, I will explain. Ten girls, usually about the same age, dance on this stage veiled so that their faces are hidden. Now, the one who can pick out the princess, wins and Elaina will dance alone. But, you should know, our Lady Princess has never lost. Alright, the minstrels are finally here, I am done rambling, and the girls are ready. Now, DANCE!" one would expect a great roar of anticipation at this, but everything became deathly silent, waiting.

He hopped off the stage just as the ten dancers, each in the same gossamer blue dresses and purple veils, came onto the stage with elegant strides. Each assumed the same position—hands balled into fists and wrists crossed making an X above their heads—as a low, steady rhythm beat out from a drum. They remained standing, not moving a muscle, hardly breathing. Edmund watched with expectancy and impatience. A flute began to play, slowly at first in a sad minor tone, and then gradually picked up speed as the girls moved with the melody. A harp stuck, as did a lyre, another flute and the monotonous drum still thumping out the same rhythm, only faster. As for the girls, their bodies moved like water and became more and more liquid-like as the music went faster. Several—including Edmund—watched in awe and curiosity. They spun and twirled and kicked; everything was a whirl of that color. Still, the veils never fell. When the tune seemed as if it could go no faster, everything stopped, the dancers in the same posture as they were in the beginning, this time their heads up and looking out at the stunned audience. The elderly dwarf was up on the stage again, loudly clapping, a boisterous grin on his wrinkled face. Everyone began whooping and hollering and applauding. Edmund stood with the rest and realized that there was a section gone from each veil revealing their eyes.

"Fine, fine job indeed," gloated the ancient dwarf. "But has anyone figured out which is the princess? If you did, stay standing." Almost all sat down except for Edmund and five others. The runt asked each man, which he thought, was "our Lady Princess". Finally, he came to Edmund. "And which do you think, son?" Edmund scanned over each of them once more, to be sure, then answered, "Third from the left." The dancer took off her veil; it was Elaina. The crowd gasped then cheered. The only one to win for three decades, as he later found out. "Aslan's mane, boy!" the dwarf looked at him in shock. "I didn't even know! How did you?"

"She is the only one with gray eyes," he replied as he looked over at her. He winked at her as she looked at him from the platform. She did one of those quiet gasp laughs and went backstage to prepare for her dance.

"Alright, now. You all talk amongst yourselves whilst we wait." They did just that.

The other girls filed off in the opposite direction. He watched as a tall figure approached Elaina's small "dressing room". About a minute later, that figure staggered out. Edmund saw Elaina run out from there on light feet. He jumped up from where he sat and hurried after her, but not too quickly to make a scene.

"Elaina," he called quietly as he caught up with her. "Elaina!"

She stopped, not turning.

"Where are you going? Are you not—"

She turned and silenced him with a furious glare. "No, I changed my mind. I'm not dancing." She spun on her heel and began walking again.

"Who was in your dressing room? What is wrong?"

"It's nothing. Do not bother yourself with it." She spat, still walking.

"Elaina, please—"

"No!" she turned back to him and hissed. He was taken aback. "This is none of your business, Edmund. Stay out of it." So he did, and he watched her go with a bewildered look on his face.

"He has no idea," Elaina whispered to herself as she stormed away from Edmund. "It was no big deal. Ugh, Kemen, you're lucky I haven't had you executed." She could never have him killed. That would alter everything she was trying to be: the opposite of her brother. But what happened just now...

**In the dressing room**

"Hello, Elaina." She jumped at the voice and turned to see a tall, burly man.

"Kemen! What are you doing here?" she inquired curtly. The last time they met it was not on good terms.

"I came here to try and patch up what we had before."

"Kemen, we hardly had anything before. You were a liar and a cheat. Leave, I don't want anything to do with you." Kemen laughed dryly.

"But, honestly, Elle, people can change." He ran his hand down her bare arm, causing a chill to run down her spine. She backed away.

"I told you to never call me that." Her tone was so icy that it froze the air around them.

"I'm sorry. I guess I just…forgot."

"Well, maybe you've also 'forgotten' that I _am _your princess and I _can _exile you."

"Ah, but you would never do that. You are too good." He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her roughly. He was too strong for her too break free from. He pulled back, still holding her head and now her arm. "You found comfort in me before. Are you going to leave me again?" All she could do was lock her jaw and glare up at him. A noise from behind distracted his attention enough for him to loosen his grip. Elaina seized the moment and whipped away, took the palm of her hand and hit him hard in the chest, sending him out of the room temporarily winded.

**Now**

She sat on a bench near the Tree of Ahreddan. Looking over at it, she wondered what her father would say the next day about her sudden disappearance.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ok, so i changed a few things...so yeah...i like it better like this.

* * *

That same night at the festival... **

"What is wrong with her?" Edmund wondered aloud to himself as he searched the courtyard. After Elaina had run off, he went back into the square for about five minutes, questioned why he wasn't looking for her, and left to find her. She may not want him to know what was going on in her dressing room, but he had to make sure she was in no harm.

He went through an open arched doorway. He had not been here before. The area was bordered with large weeping willows who stood like silent, tired sentinels twined by strange dark blue ivy. The entire vicinity was carpeted by soft green grass except for the center where stood a grand fountain. There was something about it that made it appear to be shining as water poured silently into the pool surrounding it. The whole place had an eerie feel about it. He looked up. There was a ceiling in this room, apart from a sizeable circular hole directly above the fountain; there seemed to be mini stars falling from it into the shimmering cascade. The only noise was the sound of his breathing, the crowd from the fête had been silenced by this room.

There was a rustle from a tree. He turned quickly to find a tall, bulky man, dressed in a black and silver tunic. Although the room was well lit by the moonlight, his face was shadowed and all Edmund could see was the gleam in his eyes.

"Hello Edmund," he said, in mock pleasantry. "How are you this evening?"

"Who are you?" Edmund replied, drawing his sword. This smelled like a trap.

"Oh, I'm just a dear...friend of Elaina's. She's fine, no need to check up on her."

"What do you want, coward?" he snapped. His heart raced. The man drew his sword.

"I want you gone." With that, he came at him full force. Edmund raised his blade in defense. He would not kill this man unless absolutely necessary. The weapons clashed and clanged in a flurry of steel. A slice on the cheek, a gash to the arm, Edmund was inflicting this other man more by the second. If he kept it up, he would win.

"Edmund! Kemen!" Elaina screamed from the doorway. Edmund turned over his shoulder and saw her standing there. "STOP!" she shouted at them both. Before he could do anything, Edmund felt a slash of pain seer across his stomach. He twisted around and saw Kemen sneering.

"I don't think I want to kill you just yet. Farewell, Elaina," he said and ran out through some other way. Elaina quickly began running to Edmund. He stumbled as he looked down at the blood seeping through his tunic. He looked back at Elaina with a confused expression on his face as she ran to him before he fell with a soft splash into the shallow fountain. As he lay there, the world gave way to darkness...

As he slipped in and out of consciousness, he caught snippets of hectic conversation.

"...I don't care! Do whatever you have to do!" Elaina. "Find him and bring him to me, alive. He's gone too far this time. He will pay. You! Come here! I need..."

"The infection is spreading," unfamiliar voice. "We must find something to slow it down."

"Try this," was that Elswyth?

Someone felt his forehead. "He's burning up." They pressed a cold cloth to his head then rubbed some sort of balm on his stomach. "I hope this works..."

Then there was silence. _Am I dead? _He slowly opened his eyes to find himself in a stone room. Shutters to his right were partially opened, to his left, a door. Directly in front of him was a chair, tilted back against the wall and in that chair was a woman, her chin to her chest and eyes closed. The sunlight from the window poured softly onto the spot where she slept. If he was not mistaken, it was Elaina. He tried to sit up, but an intense pain in his stomach made him give a sharp, involuntary intake of breath. Elaina's eyes snapped open. She looked over at him, disbelievingly for a moment. She stood, walked to him, knelt by his side, and said,

"We thought we'd lost you," she brushed the hair out of his eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Thirsty," was all he could manage at that moment. She took a cup from the bedside and brought it to his lips. After a long, satisfying meal, he sat up in bed, feeling childish having everyone taking care of him. Elaina sat next to him; she had hardly left his side.

"We're looking for him, Kemen, I mean. He's gotten away before, but we should get him this time. There must have been poison on the blade because there was a serious infection that would not have come from a simple slice. The thing that saved you was some kind of cream that Elswyth made from the leaves of the Tree of Ahreddan. Nothing else worked."

"How long was I out?"

"About three days."

"People are probably wondering where I am. I need to get going."

"We sent a message to your bother and sisters. They are coming."

They sat for a moment in silence.

"How do you know him?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Kemen."

"He is—was a...friend of the family."

"Why don't you stop hiding?"

"What?"

"Hiding. You show emotion when you're happy, but when something bad happens, you seem totally emotionless."

"I beg your pardon, but—"

"Come off it, Elaina. You want to be out there right now, scrounging the island for him, but you have some kind of 'anger-reserve' coming up instead of what you are truly thinking. Now really, how do you know him?"

"I...it does not matter anymore. I've gotten over it."

"You are lying through your teeth, Elaina. You don't think—"

"Alright," she snapped. "We were romantically involved about three years ago. After my mother died, I felt so lost and he seemed like the only person there. I was depressed and vulnerable and...I was stupid. Of course, he only wanted one thing out the relationship." She looked down at the stone floor.

"Are we thinking about the same thing?" He eyed her suspiciously. All she did was nod. "And...Did you give him what he wanted?" Suddenly she felt like a little girl. She looked at him, opened her mouth as if to say something, and then put her head back down.

"No," she shifted uncomfortably in her chair and looked back at him. "He took it from me." The look in his eyes was hard to decipher. It was somewhere between shock and loathing. He cursed through clenched teeth. "Look, I haven't told anyone about that so please don't make a scene about it."

"I, uh...I'm sorry," were the words that came, but all he wanted to say was caught in his throat.

"No, don't be. I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't really try to stop him... It's my fault that this happened to you, and don't say that it is not because it is. But you're right. I try not to show any emotion when bad things happen because I don't want to overreact the way Killian does. I don't want to be like him."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"You could never be like that."

Later that day, the rest from Narnia arrived, quite agitated about almost losing their brother again. About a week later, he was well enough to leave, with many apologies from Elaina and the royal guard.

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**um...yeah...so thats it...the new chapter 5. the next chapter (13 i do believe) is coming soon...possibly tonight. oh, sorry, this morning.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: w00t w00t! finally, chapter 6! its not very exciting, but get over it. dont ask about the title. so ya i'm at my grandparents' house AND i'm grounded so you see what lengths i go to in order to get this thing updated! it took me forever to write, so dont give me crap if you dont like it. just lie to me and tell me you do.**

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Peter sat and stared into the small, flickering flame sitting in his study. He was bored. Bored out of his skull. But for some odd reason, he did not feel like doing anything. There was some kind of emptiness inside of him, but what could he want that he did not have already? He was High King of Narnia, he lived in a castle, he had servants to bring him anything his heart desired. That struck a new thought. What did he desire? More power? More things? Less stress? Love? No, that was ridiculous. He did not need love, perhaps Edmund, but not him.

"Are you sure about that?" he said quietly to himself and sat staring and thinking for what seemed like an eternity.

"Peter are you—" Lucy stopped with the door half open. "Have you forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?" he asked without turning.

"That we have guests coming," she answered matter-of-factly. "Ambassadors from Calormen. We need to make things work with these people. We need peace. Are you alright?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "Do you ever feel like something is missing, Lu? Like there is so much more to...everything, but you're missing out on it?"

"Oh, I see," she sat next to him. "This is about Edmund finding Elaina and now you feel lonely, right? Well, I'm going to tell you like it is: you see courting as a sport."

"What are you talking about?" he turned and gave her one of those looks, you know, the kind you get when people think you are being a complete idiot?

"Never mind." She stood and headed for the door.

"Wait, Lu! Please."

"You think its all fun and games until something you don't like happens," she sighed and turned back to him. "You're never really serious about love."

"I am too serious."

"Oh please," she scoffed.

"Well, for some reason I can never find love," he replied, suddenly feeling incredibly depressed again. "I don't know why, but I can't find it."

"That's impossible. Love just happens. You can't find love; love finds you." She put a hand on his shoulder for a moment then left. _Maybe she's right._

Usually, ambassadors were old men who had nothing on their minds but politics and power, occasionally peace. He sat in the foyer, awaiting their guests. Frankly, he was not looking forward to this meeting. He sat and let his mind wander as he, Susan, Edmund and Lucy waited. What about Taraneh? She was a beautiful woman, intelligent conversation, but there was just something about her that he did not quite like. Perhaps Johanna or what about Anala, maybe—

"The three ambassadors from Calormen, Sires," was the announcement. They all stood and waited to meet their matches. First, in walked an old man who introduced himself as Vidor. Next was a younger man called Kalman who was in fact very cocky. But what surprised him was the beauty that walked in last.

"Good evening to you all, I am Callida," she curtseyed as she introduced herself. After all the formalities, the retired to the dining room where a grand meal was prepared for these interesting guests. Peter observed Callida with a subtle intensity the whole night, barely hearing the conversations that went on, unless he was called upon or mentioned. She had hair blacker than night, onyx eyes, soft full lips, smooth, chocolate colored skin and a cool, collected aura about her. Her body was that of a warrior, strong and defined, and yet she somehow retained an exotic beauty that had him captivated. Edmund must have sensed him staring at her because he nudged him from under the oak table at which they sat. He came to his senses to discover that he had been asked a question that he had not heard. All eyes were on him.

"Could you say that again, please?" he asked. It happened more than once.

Despite Peter's density that night, everything went seemingly well. Edmund saw it the whole time. Both of them were stealing awkward glances at each other, trying to collect themselves. He had to restrain from laughing.

"So what about the kings of Narnia? Are they handsome? Or are they total beasts?"

"Fantine," Callida said exasperated at her twin sister's childish curiosity. She always tagged along on these boring trips, in truth making them a bit less mind-numbing. "It was a political meeting, I paid no attention to anything of the sort."

"Oh, come off it! Do tell, please?" Callida stepped out of the doorway for a moment to see if anyone was listening. They were all on the upper deck of the ship. She quickly closed the door and jumped childishly into a hammock as her sister giggled out the words "Tell me, tell me!"

"Alright. The younger one, Edmund, he is handsome. He has thick black hair and dark mysterious brown eyes. He's a bit fairer skinned than the rest of them. I heard that he is courting a princess from the Dimitius Isles."

"Dimitius… Where is that?"

"I…I have no idea. Anyway, the other one, Peter. Now he is extremely handsome. He has shaggy, sandy brown hair, intense blue eyes, a smile to die for, and he's quite muscular. He seems very nice, a bit thick though. I could have sworn he was looking at me a good deal of the time."

"Oh, please, introduce me." They both giggled. Callida sighed.

"Here we are, sitting gossiping about boys and how old are we?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. It seems that the older we get, the more fun it is!"

"I say we toast to that immensely true statement," they each took up a flask they kept hidden among their personal belongings. "To twenty years of gossiping about boys and counting!"

"Amen to that." The two took a swing of the liquor and continued talking until the carafes were empty.

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**heheh, they're drinkers. oh, and since i never did this before, i own only the characters unrecognizable to the awesome Chronicles of Narnia. the ones in there belong to the amazingCS Lewis. ok, must go have a conversation with the voices in my head. Kemen wont turn down the radio. and its country music of all things. and now Elaina and Edmund are fighting again. **

**Ealina: You pig! **

**Edmund: Wench!**

**Elaina: Bullheaded son of a--**

**Edmund: Vain!**

**Elaina: You...do you want to kiss me as much as i want to kiss you?**

**Edmund: absolutely. **

**(kissy kissy goo-goo moment)**

**Elaina: i cant stand you! (walks away)**

**Edmund: LIKEWISE!**

**Link: please, can you all keep it down to a dull roar!**

**Malon: (8 months pregnant) i mean it, Edmund, next time you two get into a fight like that, i'm going to staple your mouth shut!**

**Me: whoa! Link, Malon, where did ya'll come from?**

**Link: we gotfed up with the yellingso we came out of the story you havent started in the back of your mind. **

**Edmund: (cowering from Malon) i'm sorry! i'm sorry! it wont happen again! not even the greatestin Narniacan stand up to an angry pregnant red-head.**

**Malon: it better not happen again.**

**TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO SEE IF EDMUND GETS HIS LIPS STAPLED TOGETHER AND IF KEMEN WILL EVER TURN DOWN THE RADIO! **

**I WANT 10 MORE REVIEWS BEFORE THE NEXT CHAPTER COMES!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: this is the REAL end of chapter 6. I didn't put this in before because I had already submitted the last chapter and didn't feel like replacing it. enjoy! **

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"Actually," Callida went on to say, half drunk. "King Peter has indirectly invited me to some ball. I have not yet decided if I shall go or not."

"Oh, but you must!" Fantine insisted. "It does not matter whether or not this has any political value. Indulge yourself, for once."

"Alright, I will go."

The ball was actually a grand event. No real special occasion, just some noble's birthday. Peter was not even entirely sure whose. In fact, he was hardly paying any attention to anyone or anything except the doorway, anxious to see Callida walk through. When she did, he could have sworn that his heart stopped. Her hair was pulled back away from her face and her eyes, those black orbs that took in and analyzed everything around her. She wore a flowing green silk dress with a low back, embroidered with designs too complicated to follow. She looked around, quite uncertain whom to go to. Then she saw Peter and walked purposefully yet gracefully to him.

"Good evening, you're Highness," she said, dipping her head.

"Ambassador," he returned the greeting. "I know you have only just arrived, but I find myself unable to resist asking if I might have the next dance."

"You most certainly may, sire," she replied after a moment's thought.

So they danced and danced. He led her out to a terrace decorated by a large fountain.

"I must say, Ambassador, you are quite the dancer." She chuckled.

"Well, I am not positive about that, but thank you. And please, Callida works just fine."

"As you wish, Callida."

"But I daresay you are a very talented partner, Peter," she grinned, ignoring formalities all together.

"Ah! Peter, Callida!" Edmund stumbled up to the, his arm draped around Elaina's shoulders. His speech was slightly slurred. He could hardly walk. "So wonderful to see you both!" he waved around a crystalline goblet, half empty, as he spoke. "Tonight is just one of those nights. A night to be incandesantly happy, eh? Hurry, drink up before all the wine is gone and rejoice in the fact you need not pay for it!" he laughed hard and downed the rest of the glass' contents.

"There will be no more left because you drank it all, you pompous fool." Elaina said, rolling her eyes and leading Edmund away. Callida looked at Peter quizzically then burst into laughter.

"They are quite a pair." She said after a few moments.

"Well, after seeing her as she usually is, I am somewhat surprised that she is not drunk as well."

Callida sat on the edge of the fountain with a sigh. Peter joined her and for a moment, was unsure of what to say and was left staring at her.

"What? Have I something on my face?"

"No, it's nothing. Something. I know not." Without thinking, he tried to kiss her. She put up her hand and he instead kissed her palm.

"You know," she put down her hand. "Not every woman is so easily swayed by your charm and rugged good looks. Try not to be so vain." She stood.

"You think me vain?" he rose too.

"Yes, I do." She stated very matter-of-factly.

"Well, one would expect such a remark from a Calormene." _Whoops. _At the mention of a Calormene in their presence, several bystanders turned, eyes wide, then began speaking in hushed tones, periodically looking over their shoulders.

"And what, pray tell," she walked closer to him, almost in a butch way. "Does me being a Calormene have anything to do with thinking you are an egotistical, conceited brute?"

"I, egotistical? Ugh, you are the most pig-headed woman I have ever met." He spat.

"I've never in my life—you swine!"

"Wench!"

That one earned him a backhand across the cheek. They glared at eachother for a moment. If he thought that asking her to dance was hard to resist, then this was inevitably hard to resist. Next thing he knew, he had his arms around her and hers around him, in a kiss so passionate and fiery as neither had known existed. His hands trailed through her hair, in the process pulling out the two pins that kept it up. Her midnight black locks spilled onto her shoulders. Either they did not realize what a scene they were making, or they did not care. All of the spectators gawked at them. They weren't even drunk, for heaven's sake! After about two minutes, they let go of eachother, reluctantly. _Very_ reluctantly. They stared at one another, trying to catch their breath.

"I...I have to go. I promised that I would be back before dawn and…I had best keep that promise." She took a quick look around.

"Oh, of course." They made hasty goodbyes, again all formalities lost. Peter licked his lips and smirked. A gnome gaped at him. Peter met that with a slight nod then walked inside.

For about twenty minutes, he walked around aimlessly, saying hello to random subjects who deemed it their personal duty to speak to him once in a while outside the castle. Eventually, Edmund (now alone) swaggered over to his brother, grinning widely. He was still incredibly drunk, but at least Peter could understand what he was saying. Amazing what twenty minutes could do.

"I saw you with Callida, my dear brother, and quite frankly," he propped his elbow on Peter's shoulder. "I am shocked that High King Peter the Great would willingly kiss a foreign woman from an enemy country in public without making some kind of crazy excuse."

"And your point is…?"

"I…uh…I forgot."

"Well, where have you been, Ed?"

"Nothing, just…talking with Elaina."

"Talking?" he chortled. "And where, just out of curiosity, were you 'talking' to her?"

"Well, not talking, per se, but we did have some lovely…er…conversation."

"You did not answer my question."

"We were in…a…um, a coat closet."

"Making out with Elaina in a coat closet. How original. For some reason, I am not surprised." He laughed then joined his brother in another drink.

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**A/N: i used the phrase "making out" for lack of a better verb. "kissing" just didnt seem to do it justice.**


	8. Chapter 8

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**A/N: so sorry it took forever to get this up. enjoy. **

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_

_Mid-April before a traditional Narnian festival (I made it up). Three months after the meeting with the ambassadors. Peter has been courting Callida against his better judgment. Kemen is still nowhere to be found. _

"Yes, a lot of reds and golds," Susan was saying to Edmund and Peter. Lucy was making arrangements with music. Edmund was waiting with anticipation for Elaina to arrive. She had said she would be there to dance, if she made it on time. "Edmund! Are you paying any attention to me?"

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry, Su." The festival was tomorrow and everything needed to be in its place as soon as possible. Elaina's ship arrived about two hours later. This time, she stayed in the castle.

_Edmund sat outside,_ _looking up at the stars. Where was Elaina? She was supposed to have been here an hour ago. They agreed to meet under the oak by the riverbed. Well, here he was. Where was she? There was a rustle in the branches. He looked to it. From above fell a body into his arms. Elaina, bloody and beaten. She was not breathing. There was a cackle in front of him. He turned to see a tall figure, cloaked in night. _

"_Who will you kiss now?" It said. Edmund tried to move, he really tried, but he was rooted to the spot, frozen. The figure charged him, sword drawn…_

Edmund sat bolt-upright in bed, his body covered in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He hadn't had a nightmare like that in years. Just to be sure, he jumped out of bed, put a robe on and walked quickly and quietly to Elaina's room. He pulled the door open silently and crept in. From the moonlight that fell from to the bed, he could see her there, unharmed, asleep. He heaved a sigh of relief. Her eyes fluttered open. _Oops, that was a bit loud. _She looked at him, confused for a moment, and then jumped out of the bed, pulling a sheet around her. After studying him frantically for a moment, she realized,

"Edmund?" she let her guard down, but not the sheet. "Are you mad? What are you doing in here? And don't say sleepwalking because I've heard it ten too many times."

"It-it was…a dr-dream," he stuttered, now feeling utterlyridiculous. "Honestly, I had no idea you were naked."

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"No, really I had this dream that I was waiting for you but you were dead and then there was this voice. I think…" he trailed off then abruptly came back to his senses. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Sorry to bother you." He started to walk out.

"Wait a moment," she walked to him, sheet still secured around her. She kissed him gently. "Thank you. Goodnight." She smirked as she closed the door. Edmund walked back to his room.

"Ah," he sighed to himself, climbing back under the covers. "That went well." He drifted off to sleep, grinning.

"Ugh, don't tell me you got drunk again!" Peter said, trying to wake Edmund up. "Wake up you imbecile!" Edmund swatted at him like he would a fly.

"What!" he sat up, squinting his eyes against the bright morning sun. "What time is it?"

"Almost eleven o'clock! Get up you lazy a—"

"Is he up yet?" Lucy called.

"Barely!" Peter responded. He turned back to Edmund who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Everything isn't ready yet."

"That made no sense. Hullo, I'm up! Now get out of my room you rancid fruit bag!" All he got was a short-lived, gawking stare. Then he left. "Always opening those bloody shutters. I'm going to nail those shut one day…" he muttered to himself as he got ready. Then he realized why Peter was in such a fuss. Callida was going to be here, observing everything that went on, despite the fact that Peter was courting her. Everything had to be perfect, because if it wasn't, all hell could break loose. All though he could not imagine why it had to be perfect. After all, Peter had tongued the girl in the open within 4 hours of actually knowing her.

They all sat and watched Elaina's performance on the center stage. It was even more enticing than the routine at the solstice festival on Dimitius. She wore a sheer black skirt that moved and swirled with each step she took. When the fabric shifted, the underside was revealed to be purple. The forest green blouse she wore was tight and cut low in the back. Her hair was pulled up.

No one in Narnia had ever seen such art. It looked to be a combination of belly dancing and ballet, from what he vaguely remembered from England. One moment, her hips were at it, turning so fast it made him dizzy; the next, she had composed a grace that reminded him of a swan. Then, all ballet aside with her hands high above her head, bare feet moving in complicated steps, she pulled the single pin holding up her hair and let the long, ebony tresses overflow her shoulders. Edmund watched with intensity, loosing himself in her movement. Most of the time, Elaina had been dancing with her eyes closed. Suddenly, as the drum beat loud and hard, her eyes snapped open and looked right at him. Edmund's eyebrows rose slightly. She winked.

After her act, Elaina joined Edmund in walking through the market, accepting gifts from those who had watched her; most were men, of all species. Out of the blue, Edmund pulled her into a back alley and planted a long kiss on her lips.

"I assume I did well." She said quietly after a moment.

"Needless to say, yes."

"Well, I have a little secret to tell you."

"Oh really?" She nodded.

"The one I danced at the solstice festival is called 'The Mystery'. The one I danced tonight," she kissed him softly, bit his ear, then whispered. "Is called 'Seduction'." She walked farther into alley, looking over her shoulder, tauntingly. Edmund stared after her a moment.

"Well, I do believe you have succeeded, my dear." Then followed after her.

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**A/N: ok, so i guess that this is chapter 8, but it was meant to be chapter 7 but this is how it worked out. so yeah. ok, i want 10 more reviews for real this time. so, that means tell your friends or else you will not see chapter 9 for a long time. and chapter 9 is a REALLY good chapter. it was one of my favorites to write. so PLLLLEEEEEEAAAAASSSEEEEE review! OR ELSE! er, i meant to say please again...**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: revised this a bit...feedback please.**

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Elaina and Edmund were standing in the throne room, talking about the festival and how well everything was going. The people were happy; there was music and food galore, everything was working out just as planned. Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the outside corridor that made them both turn their heads.

"Please I need to see my sister!" Was that Killian?

"Sir I can't let you in there without one of the Kings' or one of the Queens' permission." The guard argued, trying to keep the restless prince from entering the room.

"Elaina!" Killian called at the sight of his older sister.

"Its Killian, Edmund, my younger brother." Elaina asked, almost sounding exasperated.

"What is he doing here?" Edmund inquired; at the very sight of this man, he did not like him.

"I honestly do not know. Edmund please."

"Guard! Let him in." he ordered.

"Yes sire."

"Elaina." Killian straightened his black tunic and glared at the guard.

"Killian! What are you doing here in Narnia?" she asked, forcing a smile.

"Well there's a problem at home. Father wants you back as soon as you can make it."

"But Killian I'm here for Narnia's festival." She gestured in the direction of the market square.

"Father needs you Elaina it's not a matter of where you are or what you're doing. He needs you." His eyes were shifty and his change of tone gave her a terrible feeling of foreboding. Something was not right.

"Killian you mentioned a problem at home, what sort of problem?" she tried to keep anxiety out of her voice.

"Well Elle, it's kind of complicated..." he looked around the room, eying Edmund with obvious distrust.

"Killian, I'm not a baby."

"King Edmund. King Peter and Queen Susan request you're presence immediately." The guard said to Edmund.

"Of course, I'll be right back." he walked briskly through a polished oak door with one last glance over his shoulder at the newcomer.

"All right, he's gone. Killian, tell me what's wrong."

"Elle, like I said you wouldn't understand..."

"Killian! I am not 4 years old! In fact, I'm older than you. Tell me what's wrong at home! Why does Dad need me home so quickly?" Elaina demanded, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Dad's dead." He said bluntly.

"What?" All color drained from her face. For a moment she felt as if she would faint. She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat and took in a deep breath to steady herself. "How did he die?"

"He suddenly became ill; we could find nothing to help him."

"But...but he can't be dead. He just can't be."

"Dad is dead, he died Elaina. I'm to become king and under law you have to do anything I tell you to do. You have to be there for my coronation. I'm sorry, Elle." He had a strange expression on his face, one she was unable to interpret.

"Wait, I'm older than you. The throne is my right! I don't trust you to rule Killian."

"He appointed me, Elle. Of all people you should respect his last wishes."

"You...you've just been waiting for dad to keel over so you can have the throne! I know how your mind works, Killian." She tapped her head. "I bet you were counting the moments it took for him to croak. I'll bet—"

"ENOUGH!" he unexpectedly thundered. She stood like a queen, but felt like a rag doll. Killian composed himself and took on his usual snake-like serenity. "There is nothing we can do about him now. Either way you must come home. If not for my coronation, for Dad's funeral. But you have to come home, forget Edmund, he's not for you."

"Oh and you know who is, do you Killian? I don't care what the law says I'm staying here!"

"Elaina, as your King I order you to come back!" he spoke through gritted teeth.

"You're not King yet Killian and as your sister I'm telling you, I'm NOT coming back!" she glared him down, yet he retained his equanimity. He leaned into her ear, so as not to be heard, and whispered a threat so terrible, her eyes widened in horror and coldness filled her being. Despite their similar appearances, their black hair and grey eyes, he was a monster and she now reduced to a damsel in distress. She looked at him and a shiver went down her spine.

"You're despicable," she breathed with disgust and contempt.

"This is simply the way it must be," he gave her an almost psychotic grin. "You have until tomorrow's midnight to make your decision. Farewell, sister." He dipped his head slightly and walked out under the lasting stare from the guard who tried to keep him away. She wrapped her arms around herself and held back the unspeakable emotions crowding her mind. _Stop hiding. _There was Edmund's voice in her head again. But she had to hide. She had to, if they were to survive.

Elaina heaved a sigh of distress as she sat on a small boulder at the edge of the shore. The moon was high above the waters and shone on Cair Paravel like a lazing spotlight. She wore a night gown and a silken robe; after her incident with Edmund she decided that sleeping in clothes would be more sensible. She took in a deep breath. She gazed across the ocean, as if saying goodbye to this beautiful sight before her. She had locked away her emotions and simply took on reason. Elaina knew that Killian was capable of doing what he said if she did not leave tomorrow morning. She wrapped the robe tighter around her against the chill of the night. How was she going to tell Edmund?

"Have you made your decision?" Killian uttered in her ear, coming out of nowhere. Yet, she did not jump. She had been expecting him. He was an hour late.

"Where have you been?" she asked, not answering him nor turning.

"I was...delayed. Business you see. I have recently had a meeting with the Tisroc of Telmar and we have made a splendid arrangement. But I cannot tell you what that arrangement is unless you decide to leave Narnia and come back with me." She continued staring for a few more moments, knowing that she was on the brink of despair. She thought about his threats again.

"I'll leave."

Peter and Callida walked slowly to a carriage which had come to pick her up after the festival had ended. They stopped in front of it and he ran his hands down her bare arms and kissed her softly. He pulled back and looked at her. There was something different about her. Something about her eyes. Something had to be wrong.

"Something is bothering you. What is it?"

"I know not if I should say. I do not wish to make trouble."

"Tell me, I will not say anything to anyone else." He took her hand.

"Well, I'm not certain," she sighed. "But I have heard some disturbing news about Elaina."

"Oh, no, don't tell me he's gotten her pregnant."

"No, it isn't that. You might prefer that to what I have been told." He looked at her, now perplexed with what news she had.

Edmund sat in the throne room, unable to sleep. For some odd reason, something was keeping him awake. A feeling; he did not know what. He sat with his legs draped over the chair's arm and drew circles in the velvet cushion. His mind wandered off to thoughts of Elaina, as it did more and more often. He did not feel like a giddy school girl, fawning over the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. It was something deeper. He knew it. He felt it in his bones, and his heart. Then it dawned on him. But before he could make his realization official, Elaina came slowly into the room, dressed in a dark navy cloak. Her face was emotionless. She stopped a few feet within the doorway. She tried to say something, but closed it again when she was unable to find the words.

"Elaina, what's wrong?" he got up and moved to her.

"Stop," was all she could manage for the moment. He stopped and looked at her inquisitively. He searched her for something to tell him what was wrong. But there was that shield again, stronger than ever.

"What?"

"I... I'm leaving Narnia and...I—I can never come back. You will never see me again and I will never see you again. Goodbye." She turned and walked swiftly for the door. Edmund stood, frozen to the spot, in shock.

"She's engaged." Peter had come out of nowhere. Edmund looked at him wide-eyed. He tore out after her, out of the palace into the morning hours. No stars shone and darkness still covered the land, but he could make out her figure walking briskly down the gravel pathway.

"Elaina," he called after her. She did not turn. "Elaina!" He grabbed her hand as he caught up to her. This time she stopped and looked at him square in the eyes. He could see her fighting every emotion. It was an all out battle between mind and heart. The tears brimmed her eyes but refused to drop onto her cheeks, for fear of unleashing the desperation she felt inside. He caught both her hands.

"Is it true? Are you...engaged?"

"Yes." She answered frankly.

"Why! Why didn't you say anything? Why did you... How could...Why?"

"You don't understand—"

"I would if you would explain it to me." She broke from his grip and began walking again. "Please, don't do this! Don't marry him, marry me!"

She stopped and turned around, her eyes wide with hope and desolation at the same time. He came closer to her and she stayed put. He could feel the tears in his own eyes now. He took her in his arms, grazed her cheek with shaking fingertips and whispered, "Please, Elaina, I love you. So much. Don't go. I'll protect you; I'll do whatever I have to."

"There's more to it than just that." She wanted to explain it to him, she wanted to shout at the top of her lungs that she would rather be a mutt on the streets than leave him. But she could not.

"It's just that…I love you." The quiver in his voice, the look in his eyes, the expression on his face all rang true of the statement.

"You see, that's the problem," she shook her head then looked up at him. "Because I love you too." He couldn't hold himself back. He pulled her to him and kissed her like he never had before. It was a kiss of hopelessness, love, and desperation. They held to each other for dear life, as if this embrace was their only anchor to some form of hope. Finally, Elaina broke from him again and started running in the opposite direction.

He cried as he dropped to his knees; as he watched her disappear into the blackness that had swallowed his everything. This blackness, that brought his world crumbling around him.


	10. Chapter 10

**ok, so thanks for the few who understand the concept of reviewing. here's this chapter. after this one, don't expect another chapter for a little while...unless i work some things out with the story. it's gonna take a while to get everything in order because i have a tendancy to write my chapters out of order. so here ya go, enjoy! AND REVIEW.**

For the next year, Edmund spent his days wandering around the castle, lost in sullen bemusement. After Elaina left, things had gone completely topsy-turvy in his life, according to him. Nothing made sense. But today was different. Today, something was nagging at him. He had to find her. End of story.

"You're going to get yourself killed. You're wasting your time," Peter said rolling his eyes, watching Edmund walk around the room.

"No, no I'm not." He threw random items into a leather bag. "If you were me, and Elaina was Callida, you would go after her instead of just sitting here like you don't care what happens!"

"If I were you," Peter put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I would forget her."

"Well, it's good then."

"What is?"

"That you are not me."

"Edmund, this is ridiculous! Don't go waste your life looking—"

"Peter," Edmund turned on him, glaring him down with a ferocity that he had never seen before. "At our coronation, Aslan called me 'King Edmund: The Just'. What has been forced upon her is not just, so I'm going to go fix that." And with that response, he went to ready Philip.

He rode past a small clearing, and curiosity got the better of him. This was the place where Tumnus found some kind of magic pool. He needed to find Elaina, and this was a good place to get started. He walked into the grove, and found the crystalline pond. He suddenly dreaded what he might see. Well, this is what he saw:

Everyone was in the palace, awaiting the bride. But Elaina was nowhere to be found. Actually, she was a ways away sitting by a small creek, lost in sullen thought, silent tears rolling slowly down her painted cheeks.

"Oh, Aslan," she said quietly. "Why must this happen to me? Where are you when I need you?"

"Why do you weep, child?" a deep voice said from behind her. She whipped around to find the Great Lion himself, standing before her, sympathy in his eyes. She wiped away her tears and tried to hold them back. His soothing voice made her feel a little more at ease. But still, this was the equivalent to losing her father; such sadness that might never heal.

"Oh, Aslan, my brother is making me marry this man, and he is horrible and cruel and he is an enemy of Narnia. I cannot live with him, Aslan. Please help me. I am so lost." Her body shook with sobs. Aslan came closer to her and breathed on her. Instantly, she stopped and gazed up at him in wonder.

"Do not fret, my child. In time, everything will work itself out. Now, I understand what you have just told me about this man, it is nothing I do not already know," he said this more in a comforting way rather than matter-of-factly. "But you must be strong and carry through with this. It is crucial. Come, I will walk with you." And so he did. They went back through the forest, Elaina feeling slightly dazed. She held onto Aslan's mane mostly for support. When they reached the gates of the palace, he said one last thing.

"Non habet legem."

"Necessity has no law?" She looked toward the building. "Aslan—" she turned back to where he was, but he was gone. She took a deep breath, and made her way into the castle, and married the man she hated most.

Edmund watched the whole ceremony through the magic pool.

Now he stood before it, an angry scowl on his face. Elaina stood in front of a marble table where incense and two candles burned. Her face was completely emotionless. Even her eyes, those beautiful gray orbs that revealed everything to him, were blank. When the Tisroc kissed her, anger flooded him and he threw a rock into the pond. The image dissipated and he punched a tree beside him, unaware of the pain creeping up his arm. Then he mounted Philip and began riding towards Telmar.

Someone had to end this.

Elaina sat at a long table in a high backed chair. The men and women here were so much different than the ones in Dimitius or Narnia. Then again, it was a masquerade. Despite wearing a mask, she tried to keep her face void of emotion. What was she going to do? She looked up and saw a man, standing at the back, staring her. She could tell he was looking at her, even though he also wore a mask; but it was a lion's face.

"Wyn," she called her personal servant to her. "Find out who that man is, the one at the back in the lion mask." Wyn dipped her head and began asking around. Elaina looked over to where the Tisroc stood, speaking with other diplomats of ally countries. He was paying no attention to her. Wyn came back up to her.

"He would not say his name, but he said for me to tell you, 'come find out yourself, Ella'."

Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be Edmund? She prayed it was.

"Very well, then." She stood and walked to him, trying to keep her composure. As he saw her approaching, he did not move, but remained leaning back on a black marble pillar.

"My good sir, might you be so kind as to speak with me alone?" she asked, not knowing how much longer she could keep up this charade.

"Of course, your highness." He followed her into a back room used for conferencing...and private executions. It stank of death and misery, but it was the only place where no one would suspect anything. She closed and locked the door, whipped off her feathery mask, and stood in front of him. He pulled his off as they stared at each other.

"What took you so long?" she cocked her head to the side and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, first I had to get over the initial shock of you leaving and telling me that we would never see one another ever again. There was also the problem of finding out where you were. It would be nice if you—"

She covered his mouth with her hand, and, just as she had before, she kissed him softly, savoring every moment. She pulled back and looked up at him. Edmund could no longer hold himself back. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her almost roughly. He began unlacing her corset. 

"No, Edmund," she said backing away. "Not here, not now." She laced it back up.

**Four Days Later**

Elaina lay in her bed, alone tonight, thankfully. Her husband was gone away for a few more days. She had to cherish these few moments of sanctity. She was sleeping after crying herself there. She had not cried like that in so long. Now, she dreamed of Edmund, and her memories of him. Suddenly, she awoke to a tapping on the glass doors leading out to the terrace. Through the gauzy curtains she could see the silhouette of a tall figure. She stood and wrapped a burgundy robe around her body. She pulled back the drapery to see Edmund standing out in the rain. She gasped and stood for a moment, mouth agape. Then she threw open the doors and embraced her beloved.

"Oh, Edmund," she whispered in his ear. "I missed you so." A tear fell down her cheek.

"I missed you too." He held onto her and kissed her, both still out in the rain. He stroked her hair and simply looked at her. She pulled him back inside and pulled his lips to hers. He grasped her shoulder and she flinched and pulled back slightly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Ella," he said, looking concerned. "What's wrong?" She shed the robe and he found two things: one, she was much thinner than she used to be. Two, bruises lined her arms and back.

"Did he do this to you?" he asked, pulling away, suddenly enraged. Elaina looked at her arms.

"Edmund you can't do anything about it."

"Yes I can," he got up from the bed, where they had ended up. "I'm taking you with me. You're coming back to Narnia."

"I wish I could," she took his face in her hands. "But I cannot. Aslan told me what I have to do. I—must—stay—here." She spaced the last sentence out very carefully, as if speaking to a child.

"But—"

"Aslan told me himself. I want nothing more than to be with you, and if it was up to me, I would leave right now and never come back to this dreaded place ever again." She kissed him. "But I have to stay."

"I understand." He said after a moment's silence, even though he was lying. He brushed her cheek affectionately. Her skin was softer than a rose petal, newly formed from the earth. He kissed her dawn-tinted lips, then her neck, and, well, you can imagine the rest. All they wanted was time together; all they wanted was eachother. Non habet legem. Necessity has no law.

**7 Years Later**

Peter was in a mood. What exactly his deal was, nobody quite knew. But there was some speculation. Some said it was because of the fight he had had with his wife that morning. They still had not made up and they had been married only three years. Others, they believed he was simply exhausted from staying up much too late going over documents and treaties and not having enough to eat. Only his siblings knew what it was. Some years ago, Elaina had had a son. Edmund had taken it particularly personal, slipping into a rut that made him his old self again: rude and sarcastic. He was standoffish and to the day, never mentioned her name. She was out of his mind, or so they thought. Now, he was quiet and kept more to himself. But with Peter he seemed to have a specific problem with, well, not necessarily him, but his authority. The fact that Peter had gotten married did not help. To put it plainly, Peter was tired of Edmund's moping and his attitude.

Callida came up behind him as he was running his hand through his already graying hair. She put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, then turned back to the Narnian sky. The sun was setting and tinged the sky with golds and oranges and reds and yellows.

"You're aging already, my king. Listen, Peter," she began. "I'm sorry, but there is something that—"

"No, Cal," he said, turning and sighing. "It's not your fault. This sounds incredibly cliché, but it's me. No, it's Edmund. He's driving me mad with his unceasing despondency. I took it out on you. I'm sorry." He kissed her softly.

"Well, now that we have cleared that up, I have something important to tell you," she looked at him and smiled. "I'm pregnant."

He looked at her wide-eyed. "You're...you..." he could not find the words to say anything.

"Peter, say something understandable. Aren't you happy?"

"Callida," he said after a moment. "I've never been happier." He picked her up and twirled her around in a circle, both of them laughing. Then another thought hit him as he set her down:

_How would Edmund take this?_

"Oh, no. No, this will not go over well with Edmund."

"Why not? What does he—oh. Ugh, I feel so bad for him."

"Why can't he just get over her, be a man and stop crying?"

"Because tears are the emotions we fail to and cannot say. Things will be better eventually."

"Yeah, eventually."

Sitting up in the owlry, alone, by candlelight, Edmund read through the letter he had written. It was a simple poem he had constructed, and frankly he had never been very good at poetry until love's piercing pain had hit him. Now, he thought in poems and saw the world in poems, mostly sad and depressing ones, since he was in a life without Elaina, well, sort of. But he would never tell the others that. He shrugged slightly, as if unsure what exactly he truly wanted to say.

**so...how was it? tell me the good the bad and the really good. i am really not in the mood to hear crap from people who thought it was crap. and i'm pretty sure that the math in this story doesnt add up exactly, but i'm no mathmatician. school started again and things are super hectic already so just be patient and wait for the next chapter. thanks all. oh, yeah. GIVE ME MORE REVIEWS! **


	11. Chapter 11

Time progressed. Things grew worse, for Edmund. But for the others, life was wonderful. Except for Edmund, he always brought down the mood of a party. And to think, he used to be the very life of it. Life was best for Peter and Callida; it was obvious to anyone who saw them. With her eight and a half months pregnant, her skin possessed a lovely translucent radiance, even for her dark skin. They always seemed to be touching; his hand on hers, arms brushing against the other's when they walked, and one of her hands was always on her swelled stomach, the other palm sometimes on her lower back. And today was no different.

Callida sat down slowly on her throne, suddenly dizzy. She stayed put for a moment and took a few deep breaths. After a while, she stood and Peter took her by the arm, supporting her more than he knew.

"Are you alright?" he asked, full of concern.

"I think I just need some water. I feel fine," just as she said the words and began to walk away slowly, the floor came to her in waves. She stumbled as she realized that her water broke. "Peter," she called trying to remain calm. He walked over then recognized just what was going on.

"Oh, for the love of Aslan," he almost gasped. "Okay, don't panic lets just get you into a room and I'll have someone fetch the midwife. But whatever you do, don't panic."

"I'm not the one—panicking," she clenched her teeth as a contraction forced her to double over slightly. Peter took her arm and led her through a hallway, barking orders at his servants in the process.

"But its two weeks early," Edmund said as he met up with them on their way to a room.

"Would you like to tell it to wait, Edmund?" Callida snapped.

Finally they reached a room and she lay down on the bed. Peter grabbed both of her hands and held them close to his face as he said,

"Everything's going to be fine. Alright? Just do everything that Maia says and this will be as easy as it can be and—"

"Peter," she laughed a little bit. "I'll be fine no matter what happens, I promise. Now wait outside and relax, please. You're being ridiculous." He brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead just as Maia entered the room. A short woman with wiry gray hair, she had delivered many children in her time. She shooed him out and shut the door in his face.

After about ten minutes of sitting outside the door, Peter finally began to relax a bit. But just as he was reaching some mood resembling calm, Callida's scream reached his ears. He jumped up and began pacing. This continued over the next five or six hours before, suddenly, it became silent. Not even Maia's voice was heard as before. Deathly silent, for almost two minutes. Those minutes felt like eternity and Peter feared the worst. He felt his pulse quicken even more. Edmund stood next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," Peter whispered. "Please."

All of a sudden, a shrill cry broke the air. The cry of a newborn. Peter felt relief flood him as a smile spread across his face. Maia threw open the door, chest puffed out, shoulders back, and a proud grin on her wrinkled face.

"It's a girl," she said in her husky alto. Peter all but pushed her out of his way and was almost at a jog when he reached Callida's side. She was sitting up a bit, her dark hair matted to her sweat covered face. She looked exhausted, but content. She didn't even look at Peter as he kneeled by the bed; she was far too taken in by the tiny child she held in her arms.

"Oh my God," he said quietly. "She's beautiful." As he spoke, the baby opened her eyes and looked straight at him; big blue eyes, just like his. Callida turned to face him, tears of joy in her eyes. She started laughing, unable to keep all of this happiness inside her.

"Just look at those eyes. She has your eyes."

"Your nose."

"I know," she stopped and just looked at the infant. "She's us." They both fell silent as they stared at her, the baby's big eyes looking to either of them. Peter reached out and touched her hand. She grabbed his index finger and held it tightly.

"She's strong. What are we going to name her?" Peter broke the silence.

"Maylea, after my mother," she answered.

"Oh, really? What if I wanted to name her?" he was not expecting her reply, but then again, with Callida, one never knew what to expect.

"Well," she spoke as if she were a teacher speaking to a child. "I put in nine months of my life, being sick to my stomach every morning, every night being unable to find a comfortable position to sleep in, and just now have gone through the most painful thing in the world. You, on the other hand...you put in about half and hour of sheer enjoyment. Now, when you have a baby, you can name it," she paused and changed her view from a shocked Peter to the little child. "Her name is Maylea."

As all this happened and Peter and Callida looked at Maylea, Edmund stood behind them leaning against a wall, just a spectator it seemed. But in his mind, so many thoughts threw themselves at him. _She's beautiful. **She's what you and Elaina could have had.** Peter and Callida deserve to be happy._ _**Does that mean you have to be miserable? **No, you don't have to be miserable, not now, not at a time like this. **You are miserable. You know this could have been you and Elaina. **_He felt overwhelmed, but somehow, a wave of calmness swept over him. He approached from behind them.

"Can I hold her?" he asked almost timidly. They looked at eachother, both somewhat surprised that he asked.

"Of course." Callida handed her over to Peter, who handed her to Edmund. She really was the most beautiful child he had ever seen; her skin just a shade or two lighter than her mother's, her eyes just so big and blue and innocent. She didn't know about the world, about suffering, about pain. He didn't want her to.

Right then and there, he decided to protect her, to be more a protector than the guards she would have, more than the entire army of Narnia, even more than her own father. This would be the child he never had. And for the first time in a long time, Edmund smiled genuinely.

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**A/N: i dont have much to say, excpet that i'm back and i' very happy with this chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

Their anniversary. Whoop dee doo. It wasn't like they'd never had one before. And yet they made a big spectacle of it with a huge party every year. All it meant was that they had put up with eachother for another year, and Edmund found himself hating them for it. Six years, so what? He turned his back on them and retreated to the nearest balcony.

No one else was around and it was peaceful and quiet; his only company the night sky and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. He looked up at the moon, hanging lazily in the ocean deep blue sky, her soft silver glow reflecting on the restless tide.

Here, he could think of Elaina.

He remembered standing right where he was now with her standing in front of him, his arms around her, as they watched the sunset. He remembered pressing his nose into her hair and wondering how she always smelled of the sweetest flowers. He remembered dancing slowly out here, no music, with her head on his chest and his arms around her once again, their bodies against eachother. He remembered how the purest, sweetest kisses seemed to have taken place out here. He remembered—

"Uncle Edmund!" he turned to see Maylea running to him, her short, pigtail braids bouncing on her shoulders and her big blue eyes wide with fright. "Something's wrong with Mama! Come on!"

"C'mon, Cal, you're going to be alright. You will. You have to," Peter whispered, trying to convince himself more than Callida. But they both knew she would not make it. Maylea sat next to him, holding both parents' hands.

"Liar," she managed to cough out jokingly. "I'm dying, Peter." She looked at him, her dark eyes bloodshot and dry.

"I don't know what I'll do without you." his voice shook. He stroked her cheek with his free hand then kissed her gently.

"Maylea, be good for Daddy. Try not to get into too much trouble." She erupted into a coughing fit. "Peter," she croaked one last time. "I—I" she fought to keep that one spark of life in her for a few more moments. "Love you." No sound came, be he could read her lips. Her eyes fluttered slightly, her breathing stopped, and her grip on Maylea's hand slackened. She was still staring up at him, her onyx eyes blacker than ever. Peter felt his heart being shredded to nothing.

"No, please," Peter said in horror. He had known that it was coming, but he still could not believe it actually happened. He caressed her hair, almost believing it would bring her back. "Cal, Callida, please, don't go." Tears brimmed his eyes as he brought her body to him in a desperate attempt to bring her back, gritting his teeth. He watched his world shatter before him in her cold, lifeless eyes.

Maylea looked at him, her mind too small to understand anything but the words,

"Is mama gone?" he held back anymore tears he had. They could wait.

"Yes, baby," he laid her back down on the bed and closed her dead eyes. "Mama's gone." He picked up his little girl and held her as she cried herself to sleep in his arms. Of all days, she died on Maylea's third birthday.

"I hate funerals," Tumnus admitted to Lucy as they walked along the seashore. Callida's had been a particularly awful affair. Practically everyone in Narnia was there. In the front sat the six of them: Peter, Maylea, Edmund, Susan, Lucy and Tumnus. Peter's face was stony, ashen, and emotionless. Maylea curled up in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, tears falling onto his ebony black tunic. It was not until the end, while people were slowly filing out the entrance, did Peter break. He stood, walked to the coffin and looked in for a moment. A tear fell onto her silky green grown.

"You always did look lovely in green," he whispered to the body. And for a moment, he could feel her hand in his, see her dancing, hear her laughter, smell her perfume, taste her kiss...all in a moment. Then the moment was gone. He tried to clench his jaw and keep what he felt from showing. All he did was stand there as a few silent, lonesome tears streamed slowly down his face. Edmund had seen him cry only twice before; first when their father was sent off to war, second when he almost died in a tousle with the White Witch. Several watched him in detached sadness and pity.

Peter sat alone in the throne room, staring ahead, arms crossed. It had been about three weeks since Callida died, he was not sure. It felt like an eternity since he had last seen her. He looked out the window at the moon. It must have been around two in the morning.

"You mourn, Son of Adam," Peter jumped to see Aslan looking at him. Usually, Aslan's presence would bring some sort of joy to him, no matter the circumstances. Not this morning.

"I still can't believe that she's actually gone. I keep thinking she's going to walk through that door and make fun of me for something, the way she used to," he chuckled. "I remember one time, I had been fencing with Edmund in the courtyard, and he beat me; the only time he's ever really beaten me. She had watched us. Neither of them let me live it down. Callida, she..." the reminiscent smile faded as he came back to reality. That was the first time he'd said her name since it happened. "This just doesn't seem real."

"Do not be troubled. This will pass."

"Was there something I could have done Aslan? Something that might have saved her? What if I had—?"

"How many times must you be told? I do not tell what may have been, for what is done is done. Have faith; it is always darkest before dawn."

"Do you think—" he looked over where Aslan had been to find an empty spot. With a little sarcasm, he added to himself, "Well, that's Aslan for you."

**Three Years Later**

Susan opened the door into Peter's study where he sat with maps spread out in front of him, but his eyes were not on the maps. They were fixated somewhere in yester year. His chin rested in one of his palms.

"Peter?" she said quietly after a second or two. He turned and looked at her, bringing himself out of his reverie.

"Yes?"

"We need to talk," she entered the room and sat across from him.

"I don't need to have some kind of soul searching lecture."

"Yes you do," she looked at his tired eyes. "When was the last time you slept?"

"I don't know." he answered after a moment. "Look, Susan, I'm busy and-"

"Have you cried?" she interrupted. "At all?" They stared at eachother for what seemed to be forever. Finally Peter broke it by looking down with a sigh.

He looked back at her. "I haven't. I...I can't."

"I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but if it was me, I would want to know," she took a deep breath. "Callida...was pregnant."

All he could do was gawk at her. His stomach dropped.

"Peter, please, try to understand why she didn't tell you. She was afraid she might have a miscarriage because she knew her body was too weak to carry a child and she didn't want you to..."

Her voice seemed distant and quiet, and eventually it disappeared all together.

In the few moments that it took him to stand, walk to the door, and put his hand on the latch, he saw every image of Callida he had burned into his memory drifted in front of his eyes like clouds passing over the sun. He stood with his hand on the latch for about a minute. Susan watched him with curiosity. His head dropped and his shoulders sagged. He felt the despair he had put off for so long boil inside him. The tears came slowly and silently at first. His shoulders began to shake and a whimper escaped his throat. He dropped to his knees and sat on the floor, finally grieving the loss of his beloved Callida. Susan went to him and held her brother as he cried.

"Three whole years. I can hardly believe it." Peter sat in a chair across from Tumnus. He seemed to be Peter's counselor on the anniversary of Callida's death. It was what he had expected: Peter sat, eyes ever distant, gazing not only past Tumnus, but through him. Lost in thought and memory. "It feels like yesterday. I say that about a lot of things don't I? It feels like yester day that I fought the White Witch. It feels like yesterday that I became king of Narnia. It…it feels like yesterday that I met Callida…that we got married. We had nothing in common, absolutely nothing," He chuckled to himself for a moment. "But she was amazing. What's most amazing to me, though, is that…it feels like yesterday that…I first held Maylea in my arms. Would you believe that she's six already? It's bizarre. You know what she asked me a few months ago? 'When's Mama coming back?'" He stroked his short beard and shook his head.

"Peter," Tumnus began. He was of the few minors to still call him by name. "We all miss her. I know that no one does quite like you do, because not everyone understands what it is to lose a wife and for that matter, for Maylea to lose her mother, but we do understand, at least to some degree, the pain that you and your daughter go through."

"I just…" he put his head in his hands, sighed and looked back up at Tumnus. "I just wish that I could see her again." Tumnus nodded his head. He had no response to that. Just then, the door opened and a guard stepped in.

"My lord, there are three dwarves to see you. They seem to have brought a gift and they say that they must see you as soon as possible."

"Send them in."

"Their gift is too tall for the door."

"Oh, alright. Very well then." He stood and left, Tumnus following closely behind. Upon entering the foyer, he saw the three short men and a tall…something covered in a white sheet.

"Yes?" Peter inquired to the older looking one. They all dipped their heads in reverence.

"Your Grace, I am Jirair. These are my sons, Bardo and Bronson. We have brought you a gift." He went to the thing and whipped off the sheet. "In memoriam of your late wife."

For a moment, Peter could not breathe and his eyes widened. It looked exactly like Callida. Exactly. Down to each individual curl on her head. These dwarves were more skilled than most, for she did not look like a sculpture, but a goddess. Instead of using only marble to erect this statue, they accentuated each feature by using precious metals and gems to give it color and life. Where her skin showed, they had used some dark, chocolate colored stone, the precise color of her skin. For her dress, tiny, perfectly shaped emeralds had been set with strands of gold to create the same dress she had worn when they first danced, and at her funeral. For her lips, minuscule, flawlessly cut rubies pulled her face into a small smile. But her eyes, those eyes… They had used onyx and ivory to give her the most perfect eyes possible. With a trembling hand, Peter reached up slowly to stroke her cheek. Although the stone was cold, he could feel her warmth. He closed his eyes and felt a tear fall down his face. He looked at the tiny men.

"She's…perfect." He whispered.

"It took us three years, but we finally got it finished."

Peter looked at the base of the statue on the podium on which she stood. A gold plaque read "QUEEN CALLIDA: THE COMPASSIONATE".

"Guard, get my brother and sisters. They won't believe this." He turned to Jirair and his sons. "Thank you."

**

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A/N: ok so i was looking over this and i realized...maylea was 3 when she died...3 years later shes 4?? yeah, im not a** **mathematician**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: finally it is here!!! ch13!!! ok, so i just went through a major move so thats why this took forever. i didnt have the internet until last week either so i was like dying!!!! but yeah so R&R as the plot thickens!**

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He had left two days ago. And now, as he stood before castle Cair Paravel, Mathias could hear his heart pounding in his chest. It was a grand site; tall towers, white-washed stone set ablaze in the glower of the sun; huge, black iron gates, each support capped in a foreboding spike; long, stained-glass windows staring down at him; and those doors, those two enormous portals that swallowed him at the very sight. In a surge of courage, he stepped through the gates and into the courtyard. There were animals and half-animal-half-man things walking all over the place. And they were talking?! Who had ever heard of a talking animal?

The front doors were open. In the doorway stood a half man half goat thing talking with an actual man. The man was tall and broad-shouldered with slightly unkempt sandy brown hair and a short beard. Atop his head was a simple gold crown and, even though Mathias had not spoken to him yet, he could tell from the man's smile that he possessed a rare lighthearted self-confidence. As he drew closer, the nobleman shook the half-and-half's hand. Mathias could not help but to stare at the thing as it walked past him.

"I take it you have never seen a faun before," said the man.

"Yes, er, no. No, sir," Mathias stuttered. "Actually, I've never been in Narnia before. Oh." He gave a hasty bow as the king laughed heartily.

"Are you sure? You seem vaguely familiar."

"Positive, sir."

"What's your name, boy?"

"Mathias. If you don't mind my asking, who are you?"

"Peter," he said with another laugh. "Well, King Peter, but I usually don't bother with formalities." Mathias liked this king.

"I need to see your brother, King Edmund?" He would not have known the two were brothers if not for eavesdropping in the market he went through on his way here.

Peter's eyes narrowed as he examined the boy. Curly black hair, tanned skin, a slightly crooked smile. Nothing special about him. Why on earth did he look so familiar?

"Of course," he said more to himself than the boy. He led Mathias through the foyer and to the door leading into the library. "Now, I must warn you. My brother has had a…bad day, to say the least. So good luck," he opened the door. "Edmund, you have a visitor."

"Then send them in."

Mathias walked in and closed the door. The first thing he noticed was the size of the monstrous room, each shelf housed with books, hundreds upon thousands of books. Edmund was lying on a couch, stretched out on his back with one arm under his head. The other had a band of cloth around his bicep where blood had faintly seeped through the bandage. His eyes were dark and deep and frown lines were evident on his youthful, fair face. He had a defined goatee and stubble lining the rest of his jaw. His hair was black and curly and came about half an inch below his earlobe. Instead of on his head, his crown sat on a near by coffee table. Lying like that, he reminded Mathias of a lazy house-cat.

"Who are you?" Edmund asked, sitting up and scrutinizing the boy.

"I am Mathias of—"

"Telmar," Edmund cut him off. "You're Elaina's son." He looked at the boy's eyes closely. Gray. "You have her eyes." He stared at him for a moment, then stood, turned away, and walked slowly to a window. "Tell me, how is she?"

"Fine, sir."

"Has your beast of a father quit beating her?"

"I, um, I'm not—"

"Pardon my hostility," he stopped and turned to face him. "But what do you want? We have nothing to talk of, unless your father has suddenly decided to have me assassinated by his juvenile son." He continued walking.

Awkward silence filled the air. All of Mathias' courage had left him when Edmund stood up. He was also tall and broad shouldered like his brother. And Mathias felt small and weak. Everything he had wanted to ask this man had left with his valor. Instead of any planned questions he might have had, what came out was,

"Did you love my mother?"

"Now what business is that of your's?" Edmund's eyes narrowed for a moment as he scrutinized the boy.

"I, uh," Matthias struggled to find the words. "I was...just wondering. Please, sir."

"How old are you, boy?"

"Thirteen, sir."

"Hmm," he grunted. "I suppose 'why do you care' is a more appropriate question."

"Because she's my mother and I believe that I have a right to know."

Edmund laughed bitterly for a moment.

"You're as determined as your mother."

"Please, sir, I just want to know."

He stopped, looked out the window, looked down, then out the window again.

"Yes," he answered after a moment, his face softening. A dreamy look passed over his eyes. "More than anything." Almost a whisper. "But that's all water under the bridge or over the dam or however you like it." He gave him a half hearted smirk. The grandfather clock chimed seven o'clock in the evening. "Aslan's mane," Mathias assumed that was some kind of curse or something. "I have to be somewhere. Would you excuse me?" He walked past Mathias and opened the door, motioning for the boy to follow him. Edmund walked up to a faun, saying, "Clennan, this is Mathias. Mathias, Clennan. Well, now that you're acquainted, Clennan, would you please find this boy a suitable room, give him anything he needs."

"Yes, sire. Come on."


	14. CHapter 14

"Please, Edmund, just give her a chance," Lucy pleaded for the fifth time in two minutes.

"I told you, Luce, no," he replied, walking at a faster pace to increase the distance between the two of them.

"She's a wonderful young lady," she responded, keeping up with his steps.

"How young?" he turned and stopped. He was not particularly interested in how young she was, more like how much young_er_ she was.

"Twenty-three, why?"

"Lion's sake, Lucy," he chuckled sardonically. "I'm _thirty_-three. I'm ten years older than her." _Sweet Aslan, I'm old_.

"So? Age is only a number. Besides, I'm positive that you will like her. Seda is...oh, just have dinner with her."

"Lucy," he gritted his teeth in frustration then relaxed with a sigh. "You don't understand."

"It's been thirteen years. You need to move on."

"I don't want to," he lowered his voice. "Moreover, I don't think I can."

"Sure you can," Lucy gave him an encouraging smile. "You'll be fine."

"If I agree to this, will you leave me alone?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

Edmund had a massive headache. Ever since they had sat down to dinner, she had not stopped talking. Their one-sided conversation had been one giant run-on sentence. _Her hair's too blonde. She's too skinny. She has the worst teeth I have ever seen. Ok, well, she's sort of pretty I guess. But her voice! It's so whiney and high pitched. Elaina, now there's a lovely lady...if only she were here. I'm not sure if I can take much more of this. Focus, Ed, she'll probably shut up soon. _

In fact, she shut up about five minutes later; five minutes after he finally got a word in edgewise. Soon after that, she decided that it was "far too late for a lady to stay awake" and left with a whimsical wave of her hand, a "fare thee well" and a melodramatic turn for the door. The second the door closed, Edmund realized that it was definitely a good thing she was gone. Otherwise he might have gotten far too drunk in an attempt make her words interesting and he would have lost all control of himself. If that happened, he would be furious with himself for the rest of his life. As he made his way to his room, Lucy encountered him.

"Don't even ask. Never, ever again," he said shortly, slamming the door in her face. Perhaps it was a bit unnecessary but it made him feel better. He walked over to his bed and flopped down on it amidst a disarray of sheets and blankets. He glanced into an antechamber where he and Elaina had an argument over how far their relationship should go at that present point in time. He had been unaware of her previous situation with Kemen and now he regretted even bringing up the matter.

"_Edmund, you don't understand," she said exasperatedly._

"_No, I don't please explain," he had replied. The whole situation made him incredibly aggravated for some reason unbeknownst to him._

"_I...I just can't. Please, Edmund, stop acting so childish. I can't tell you why but I just don't want to!" she sat down on the sofa with her head in her hands. _

"_If you don't want to then why are you such a tease?" he asked, the words spilling out of his mouth before he had time to consider them._

"_I beg your pardon?" she exclaimed, raising her fiery gaze on him in disbelief. "A tease? Is that what you take me for?"_

"_Well you dance around like a little whore, swinging your hips, moving your body in such a way that all a man can think about is what's beneath your clothes and how he can ingratiate himself to find out!" She stared at him, her expression going from angered to hurt to blank to furious._

"_So," she stood. In that one word, he felt such a chill in her voice that it froze him to the core. "Is that what you've been doing?"_

"_No, no, of course not."_

"_Then what _are _you thinking about when I dance?" It grew silent as the tension between them thickened. He did not reply. "That's what I thought. Goodnight, Edmund." She started to leave. _

"_Elaina," he said, catching her hand, his voice soft. She turned to glare at him. He winced internally. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean...I just...I can't even tell you how sorry I am."_

"_Yeah you're sorry alright." With that, she walked out of the room._

After that, he had sent her hundreds of bouquets of flowers, gift upon gift, apology after apology. He had never felt so low, until now of course. Right now, all he wanted was to hold her in his arms. Just hold her...forever...

_Edmund awoke to see sunlight pouring through the open window. He yawned as his head suddenly felt like it was bursting open. He groaned and cursed quietly. He did not think he would ever understand his fascination with alcohol. Sure, it was fun for a while, but the next day, he would rather die. _Fascination? More like stupidity _he thought. He cursed again. _

_Then, for some reason, he felt like he had three arms. He recalled only having two, so why did he suspect another had somehow come to be? He lifted up the sheet and realized that he did have three arms, except the extra was not his. Then the arm moved itself and he felt someone roll over beside him. He turned over onto his stomach and propped up on his elbows. He could not see her face, but he knew it was Elaina. He turned over again and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her head. _

"_Good morning," he whispered. _

"_Good morning," she replied, turning to look at him. Edmund felt his stomach drop. This was not Elaina. _

"_Seda?" he exclaimed, jumping out of the bed. Then, realizing he was completely nude ripped a sheet off of the bed and wrapped it around his waist. "What are you doing in my bed? Get out! Now!"_

"_Oh, stop being dramatic. This is our bed remember?"_

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**A/N: so there, chapter 14. i have chapter 15 mostly ready, but i really want some reviews on this before i post that one. please please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Edmund awoke with a start. He was covered in a cold sweat. He looked behind him quickly; making sure no one was there. Rain splattered the window loudly, lightning illuminated the room, and thunder cracked with an earth shattering _boom!_. Then another sound caught his attention. The night guard was arguing with someone from outside, by the sound of it. He hopped out of bed and walked down stairs.

"What is it, Kamden?" he asked the guard, who had now shut the door and was ignoring the insistent pounding.

"Nothing, sire. Just a woman."

"Excuse me? 'Just a woman'? She's going to catch pneumonia if you leave her out there! Open the door."

"But, sire, it's three in the morning."

"I don't care if its three minutes until the apocalypse, now open it!"

"Yes, sire." He opened it enough for the woman to slip through but shut it almost before she was completely inside. She was drenched and shivering in a black cloak that hid half of her face. She shot a disgusted look at the guard who had refused her entry.

"Can I help you, Miss?" Edmund asked. She pulled back the hood and Edmund's breath caught in his throat. It was impossible.

"Elaina?" he managed to croak out after a minute or so. All he could do was gape. They stared at eachother. Then, she smiled. A rush of emotion filled him. He full out ran to her and picked her up off the ground, holding onto her as if she could slip away any moment. For a moment, the world had melted away, and it was only this, only now. She was trembling. So was he. She was crying. So was he. He set her down, still holding her close to him. He leaned down and kissed her softly, then passionately.

About that time, Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Mathias all came down wondering what the commotion was. Each of them gasped, utterly surprised to see her there. Still, the two of them took no notice.

"How…?" Edmund asked, pulling away from her.

"I had to," she answered. She looked over at the four others standing at the foot of the stairs. "Hello, everyone. I've missed you all very much, more than you can imagine. Mathias, what are you doing here?" she looked at him, puzzled.

"I might ask you the same question, Mum." They both had some explaining to do.

"Mum?" said Lucy, her eyebrows raised. She looked at Matthias. "He has your eyes. And…" she took a lingering look at Matthias. Her jaw dropped. Elaina grabbed Mathias' hand and Edmund's and pulled them into a near-by conference room. She shut the door quietly behind them.

"Mathias, how did you find out about this? Us, I mean." She indicated Edmund, who was still shocked to see her.

"Rumors," he replied vaguely. "And I read your letters."

"That was you?" she looked at him, then Edmund. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Mathias, I need to speak to Edmund for a moment." He looked at the two of them, nodded his head, and left, shutting the door behind him.

"You're here," Edmund said through his smile. "You're really here." Again, he wrapped her up in his arms and held her tightly. He took a deep breath in, inhaling the scent of her hair. It still smelled like flowers.

"I'm really here," she looked at him with a wide smile. She lost herself in his eyes for just a moment then pulled herself, reluctantly, back to reality. "I just don't know how I'm going to stay."

"What do you mean?"

"No one knows that I've left. The Tisroc...well..." she trailed off.

"What? The Tisroc what? He's not hurting you again is he?" his face began to turn white with anger and he clenched his fists.

"No, no. Well, he has twelve wives, one for each month. The palace is vast and I really see him only in March, thank the gods. I can't be sure how long I will be able to stay without anyone realizing that I'm gone."

"You have to stay," he said almost pleading, like a child. "You just have to and that's the way it is."

"I wish I could," she replied sincerely.

"You will," he said, ideas springing forth in his mind like a fountain. "You will have as much protection as you need here and—"

"And Matthias," she added.

"Of course, of course, him too. I'll treat him as my own son, Elaina, anything to keep you here—"

"Edmund—"

"I know, it'll be strange at first but—"

"Edmund—"

"If he does want to go back to Telmar I will see to it that he is escorted safely out and—"

"Edmund shut up and listen to me!" Elaina snapped, then composed herself. "Sit down."

"I'm perfectly fine standing."

"You won't be in a moment," they stared at eachother. Suddenly, it dawned on him. His jaw dropped slightly and his eyes widened. He sat down, stood up, sat down, then stood up and paced. Finally he sat down again.

"I can't...are you...you're sure?" he asked, gaping at her.

"Just look at him, Edmund," she said softly, kneeling in front of him. "It's obvious."

"You're absolutely positive?"

"Well..." she shrugged and smiled.

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. How did that happen?"

"Need I really explain that to you?" she asked sardonically.

"I know how it happened I just don't know _how _it happened," he stopped and looked at her. "I have a son," he said then repeated it again to make the realization concrete. "I have a son." Elaina elevated herself on her knees and took his face in her hands. Smiling, she replied,

"We have a son."

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**A/N: ok so there it is. if you didnt like it, deal with it. if you did like it then tell me. if you leave a pissy comment i will chew you out. so just be nice. **


	16. Chapter 16

Edmund was first to walk out. He turned and looked at Mathias, seeing him in a whole new light. Why hadn't he made the connection before? The boy looked just like him. It was obvious. He walked and stood in front of Mathias, simply looking at him. Then Elaina walked out and looked at the two of them.

Right then, Mathias knew his suspicions to be true...

Today was his birthday—he was thirteen—but he felt uneasy. The night before, Mathias had been eavesdropping on servants doing their rounds. They had stopped right in front of the tapestry he was hiding behind. He had taken to exploring the vast secret passages that stemmed throughout the palace. He had gotten lost many times but now knew the best places to hide and listen in on private conversations. He had learned many things by sitting behind this one tapestry—which was very cliché, he thought, but very effective—and tonight was one of those things.

"Have you heard the rumors, Bian?" asked one called Brendan.

"The ones about Queen Elaina?" replied Bian.

"Yes, yes. Are any of them true?" Brendan asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure what you heard, but they say that," he looked around then lowered his voice further so that Mathias had to press his ear against the tapestry to hear. "That about thirteen years ago, when the Tisroc (may he live forever) left on some diplomatic envoy, there were noises heard coming from Queen Elaina's chambers. I believe it was the man she left so many years ago. After all, her brother forced her to marry the Tisroc (may he live forever)."

"Yes, I remember that," Brendan agreed.

"Do you know what this could mean?"

"No, what?"

"It could mean that Prince Mathias is not the son of the Tisroc (may he live forever) and therefore not the true heir to the throne."

"Then he would be the heir to another throne. Is there any speculation on who this mystery man could have been?" he asked incredulously.

"They say that he is a Narnian of great stature, either a duke or a king, I cannot remember. I do not understand how things are run smoothly with two kings and two queens. It is—"

Mathias stopped listening and fell back into the darkness of the corridor hidden behind the tapestry. He leaned against a cold stone wall and slid to the floor. His breath came short and his mind reeled with questions. Was it true? Who was the man his mother had left behind? What if this mystery man was his real father? Part of him dreaded the thought; it would mean that his mother had lied to him for all these years. But at the same time, he almost wished it was true. The man he had called father was a brutal man with no respect for anyone or anything but himself. He had overly sharp features: a beak shaped nose, a lean, pointed jaw, and eyes that burned a hole through everything that they came in contact with. Mathias looked nothing like him. His eyes were big and gray, soft and gentle, his nose straight and only slightly pointed, highly unlike the other children "Father" had. They all looked like him and acted like him as well and Mathias had never fit in. things began to make sense.

Now, as he walked up the dwindling stairs into the owlry, he wondered what he would find in his mother's private study. His "father" had given it to her (when he was in a good mood) for her own use and she forbade anyone other than her from entering. But he had to know the truth. When he tried the door, it was locked, but he had done some lock picking in his day. Within moments, the door was open and he was amongst a sea of hundreds of letters, piled and scattered across the floor. He headed straight for the drawing desk, locking and closing the door behind him. He stood above an obviously recent letter from…Edmund. He picked it up and sat down in the chair. He felt a jolt of nervousness and excitement go down his spine as he read:

My Dearest Elaina,

Can you believe that it has been thirteen years since we last met? It feels like an eternity. I haven't much time. Knowing that you are in Telmar sickens me to no end. You do not belong there; you belong here, with me. One day, I swear to you, I am coming and I will kill that evil toad, knowing he has hurt you in a way that no one should ever have to feel. The more and more I think about it, the deeper I am driven into insanity. Elaina, I do not even know what to say other than that I love you more than anything and I cannot stand back and let this happen. You will not be there much longer. I swear on Aslan's mane.

Forever Yours,

Edmund

His heart pounded in his chest. This was him. The man who his mother had been with thirteen years ago, and they were still in love. He was coming, and he wanted revenge.

"I can't let this happen," he whispered quietly to himself. As much as he disliked the Tisroc and his children, he could not allow a mindless slaughter to occur, no matter how terrible they all were. He put the letter back on the desk and found a fresh sheet of parchment, scrawled out a quick note, shoved it in his pocket, and went back down to his birthday feast. He was leaving tonight.

Five minutes later…

Elaina went up to her study, already sick of guests. They were all so fake and smug around her. She knew that they did not care for her, but need they be so rude? It was simply etiquette that—something was wrong here. Her chair…it was warm. Someone had been sitting here very recently and they had read her letter from Edmund. She looked to the door as her pulse quickened. For a moment, she panicked, unsure of what to do. She took a deep breath, and thought to herself, I cannot stay here. It isn't safe. She had to leave, as soon as possible. But what about Mathias? As fate would have it, the next morning she found a note from him telling her that he went hunting with some friends.

"I'm leaving," she jumped at the sound of the Tisroc's voice through the door. "See you in eleven months."

She nodded her head slightly, despite the fact that he could not see her. She was leaving tonight.

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**A/N: I've decided that I want to get this done ASAP so I'm just posting as i get them done even if no one reviews.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: So next chapter. Yeah, here it is. Due to writer's block this took me way longer than it should have. R&R please. And be nice.**

Edmund awoke. He had a strange feeling in his gut and his head felt like it was in a fog. It was the strangest sensation he had ever felt in his life, yet peculiarly exciting. It was impossible for him to describe. It was a mixture of excitement, anticipation, confusion, love, anxiety, and so many other emotions that he was officially baffled that one could have so many emotions all at once. He had a son. A son. It was an odd thing to know this, yet he did not know it until last night, or very early that morning, depending on how he looked at it. Why had Elaina kept this from him for so long? Well, how would she have told him for that matter? Write it in a letter?_Yes, he beats me like a mangy dog._ _By the by, I'm pregnant with your son_. But why hadn't she come sooner if the Tisroc was gone for so many months at a time?

Just then Elaina stirred next to him. She readjusted herself, laying her head on his shoulder, her hand skimming lightly across his bare chest.

"Good morning," she said quietly with a sigh.

"Good morning," he replied. "Actually I think it might be the early afternoon."

"I could care less what time it is," she said, laughing softly. Then she grew serious and turned her soft gray gaze to his deep brown. "Do you want to know something?"

"Sure."

"This is the first time in a long time I have looked forward to being alive." Tears appeared in her eyes instantly. "I don't want to go back, Edmund. Don't let them find me." Somewhere in the midst of what she was saying, she had started crying. Not just simple tears rolling down her cheeks, but intense weeping to the point where her body was shaking. Edmund wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I won't let them find you. I swear I won't let them find you. In fact, I'm going to make sure they can never find you."

"Promise me this: I have the pleasure of ending Killian's life," she said bleakly.

"As long as I get Kemen and the Tisroc," he replied with equal grimness. It was hard for him to believe that they were discussing this, which they could kill and which of the two of them would kill the hideous cretins. All of the emotions in his stomach seemed to have quieted down and there was a single emotion to replace the million and one others: an eerie placidity, a calmness that scared him. He wanted to kill them. That was it and he was at peace knowing that he was going to kill them. He even went a step forward, deciding that he was looking forward to torturing them to death. It almost frightened him.

"Let's hurry and get it over with."

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"_It is far easier to confuse one's enemies by being something one is not," Karlens answered, thrusting his sword right as Elaina parried the attack. "Nice."_

"_Really? Well that explains a great deal," Elaina replied in the middle of a spinning kick. _

"_You must admit, I'm not much different than who I really am. Keep your sword up. If you let it down in the middle of hand to hand combat you have no way of protecting yourself from an attack by weapon."_

"_Right."_

"_Ouch!" he cried as she managed to slash at his thigh. "That's going to leave a mark. Come here!" He threw down the sword and charged her, laughing._

"_Ah! No stop it!" she squealed as he chased her around the courtyard and finally managed to tackle her to the ground and tickled her sides until she was begging him to stop. He relented and offered her his hand to help her up. She slapped it away and stood, brushing off the front of her tunic and picking splinters out of her hose. She adamantly refused to train in a dress._

"_Karlens, you are a tactical genius and quite possibly the greatest swordsman I have ever known but when you encounter someone you don't know you act as though you are a total buffoon."_

"_Exactly my point. If I'm unsure of their true intentions I play the fool in the hopes that they'll underestimate me and not see me as a threat. That way, they are the real fools and I am the mastermind."_

"_That's brilliant."_

"_I'm a brilliant sort of person."_

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Sparring with wooden swords was not exactly what he thought Elaina would be good at. But the more he watched her, the more he realized that there was far more to her than met the eye. She was talented, to be sure, more talented than many of the men in his military. Peter flinched as she hit his shoulder with the flat of her sword then a brought a heavy kick to meet his chest. He stumbled backwards, startled by her agility. 

"Good, very good," he said, massaging the bruise.

"I know," she replied somewhat tauntingly.

"Alright, again."

And again she parried his attack and by the end of the practice, she had managed to steal his sword twice, hit his face with the flat, and give him a bloody lip from a much unsuspected left hook with her closed fist. She was fierce. Peter had not expected her to know what she was doing but she had definitely proven him wrong. When they paused for a rest, he decided to ask her about her skills.

"Where did you learn all of this?" he asked.

"Learn what?"

"All of the—" he made a few gestures with his sword.

"Oh, that," she sighed. "I learned it from my older brother."

"I thought you only had one brother."

"I do now."

"Wait, what...oh," he caught the meaning of her statement. "I'm sorry."

"Well, it happens," was her short reply, almost curt. There was an indecipherable expression on her face, a mixture of sadness and regret.

Elaina was a completely different person. When he first met her, he thought her a giddy, giggling, immature girl. Now he saw a very grown up woman who had gone through much more than he knew. "You've changed."

"People tend to do that. But I haven't really. I'm willing to bet that you didn't like me when I first came here."

"Well..."

"I didn't think so. But that was what I was trying to do. Karlens, my older brother, told me that if I was ever in a situation where I questioned a person's motives or friendship, I should play the fool so if they turn out to be an enemy, they might underestimate me. That way they are the fool."

"I'm not sure I completely follow you."

"You don't know me as Edmund knows me. He knows me, the real me, not the tittering schoolgirl that I presented myself as to you. So I figured, well, _they_ see me this way, why change it?"

"So you lied to us?"

"Huh," her brow furrowed. "I've never thought of it that way. I guess so."

"You're a very good actress then. I never would have suspected you to be clever." He chuckled.

"Hey," she hit his knee with the sword playfully. "Well I should be. I've had to act my whole life, pretending I'm happy when I'm not. Pushing back all of the grief and the anger so my people wouldn't see..." she trailed off for a moment. "I've lost my mother, my brother, my sisters, my father, Edmund and so many friends I can't begin to count them. Well Edmund isn't really gone so that's better."

"How did you lose your sisters?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"They were taken one day," she said after a moment. "We were playing hide-and-seek in the forest when we were children and I never found them. I looked for hours and hours. When I couldn't find them, I ran to my father and told him what had happened. My family was devastated. They never had a proper burial, simply a memorial service." Her face was grim and again there was that look of sadness but was quickly overcome by an expression of detestation then again replaced by some sort of resolve. "There were two of them: Elicia was three and Emmaline was five. I was seven, Killian was six and Karlens was ten. Why is it that I lose the people who are most important to me?" The question seemed more self directed than to him. Suddenly she stood. "Alright, let's go again."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: i know, this doesn't really progress the story all that much but i wanted to put it in. R&R please :)**

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Mathias was troubled

Mathias was troubled. His parents were speaking to him in a manner that said they might not return from this "journey" as they so vaguely chose to put it. He had just met his true father; what a waste it would be to loose him now.

"Mathias? Are you paying attention?" Elaina asked pointedly.

"Yes, Mother," he replied, shaking himself from his morose thoughts.

He and his parents were in the sitting room of royal apartment Edmund was sharing with Elaina and their son. The prince of Telmar noticed something quite suddenly. It seemed as if his father was never far from Elaina's side and also that he never kept his hands to himself. Every second of the day, his gentle touch was upon her: holding her hand, his arm around her waist, even a soft kiss every now and then when they thought no one was looking. The young prince had never seen his mother treated with so much respect and adoration. Every look that was directed at her by the younger king of Narnia was so full of love and devotion that Mathias would have been embarrassed by it if not for the fact that he had never seen Elaina smile the way she was. Even though there were still traces of a lingering anxiety on her beautiful, tan face, Mathias had never seen her so at ease or laugh or smile quite so much. He found that he liked his mother to be happy so he refrained from making any annoyed comments about their lovey-dovey attitudes.

There was a respectful knock at the door.

"Yes?" Edmund inquired, turning his head slightly.

"Ed, can I talk to you for a moment?" Susan's voice came from the other side.

"Alright. I'll be back in a bit." He stood and was almost at the door before he stopped and turned back to give Elaina a rather passionate and lingering kiss. Mathias turned his head, his ears suddenly burning red. Finally, Edmund turned and left, leaving mother and son alone. Elaina's gaze trailed after him.

"Mother," Mathias said. "I'm glad you're happy." The expression on her face spoke volumes. She laid one hand on his face gently and affectionately stroked his hair with the other.

"I love you so much. You're my world. You're my everything. Everything I've ever done was all for you. I love you more than you could ever imagine." She had never spoken to him like this. Of course, she had told him that she loved him, but never like this. She pulled him into a tight hug. He was a little surprised but hugged her back nonetheless.

"I love you too."

At that point, Edmund reopened the door and came back in, blushing furiously.

"What is it?" Elaina asked. Susan chose to intervene in the answer and called from the opposite side of the door:

"I more or less asked him, for the sake of the kingdom's rest, if you two could keep the noise level down to a minimum at night. You sound like you're moving giant furniture." Mathias looked at his parents with an expression of embarrassment and disgust.

"I think I'll leave, if you'll excuse me. My sanity can't take much more of this." With that, he left the two lovers alone and walked through the corridors aimlessly. He was halfway to the main lobby when he felt someone tugging at the hem of his red doublet. Under his mother's suggestion, he had abandoned the flowing robes typically worn by Telmarines. He turned around and saw Maylea standing there, her big blue eyes staring up at him. She was wearing a simple green smock that was tied at the waist with a white sash. She had stuck little pink flowers in the sash like some kind of utility belt. Her dark hair was pulled back from her chocolate-colored face in a pony tail with a white ribbon tied in a bow. His little cousin was six years his junior, however she seemed to grasp a great deal of what was going on.

"You're my cousin, right?" she asked directly.

"Yes."

"Okay," she replied, taking one of the flowers and handing it to him. He accepted it with his left hand then was surprised when she grabbed his right and began dragging him down the corridor. She made a few turns as they continued to walk in silence. Finally they came to an open courtyard where two small fountains stood on opposite sides of a magnificent statue. Randomly dispersed were cherry trees in full, pink bloom. Maylea led him to the statue and stopped. Mathias was awestruck. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. She seemed so real, so life-like.

"That's my mommy," she said, her face grave and respectful. "She died when I was three. I used to cry a lot but now I just come out here when I get sad and talk to her. She can't really talk back but she's real good at listening. You met everyone else. I didn't want her to be left out. She really liked to meet people. She was a real nice queen. At least thats what everyone else says." She walked closer to the replica of her mother and curtsied. "Mommy, this is Mathias. He's the bastard son of Miss Elaina and Uncle Edmund, at least thats what I heard. He's real nice. He's my cousin." She beckoned to Mathias. "Don't be rude; come say hi." He moved to stand next to her, feeling awkward speaking to a statue.

"Hello. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty," he gave a deep bow, more so to satisfy Maylea's introduction than any real need to bow to a pretty, giant block. Callida remained silent, although the smile that was on her face seemed almost warm and welcoming. He turned to Maylea.

"Thank you for introducing us, Your Highness," he also gave her a rather flamboyant bow. She giggled quietly behind her hand. She cleared her throat imperiously and in her best monarch voice said, with a frivolous curtsy,

"The pressure was all nine, Your Highness."

Mathias even managed to keep a straight face.

That night, as Edmund lay snoring lightly next to her, Elaina let her mind wander. There was just too much too think about. She wanted to sleep, not think. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion but her mind was very much awake. For a while, her thoughts centered around the pain she would bring to Killian for taking her life from her and giving her like a trophy to that hateful tyrant who cared only for power and nothing for the lives of his people. _Well, I no longer belong to him, Killian_. _It would have been wiser for you to kill me_. She shook her head, trying to clear away the vicious thoughts. Instead of thinking about something meaningful, she thought about the dream she had last night...

_They were at a ball of some kind. Everyone was dressed in white gowns and doublets and stunning brocades with white fur trim. She, Edmund, Peter, and several peasants she had known in Dimitius years ago wore battle armor. Those dressed in white laughed and giggled and spoke inanely, their mindless chatter bringing up a rage within her and her companions. Elaina looked around. There was a large orchestra playing tunes with the proficiency of a group of trolls off to one side. Giant piles of food were heaped upon hundreds of tables, causing them to bend to the floor under such weight. Thousands of silver and gold goblets were visibly clutched in the hands of the fat and slovenly nobles, goblets that were always full to the brim. _

_Then, Elaina realized something._

_This was Dimitius! This was what it had become! Not one person cared for the lives of the less fortunate and they engorged themselves upon the labor of their citizens! People were starving and thirsting to death out in the streets! How could this have happened? _

_Then she looked and saw Killian, enthroned on a gleaming white throne and trying to look regal. He looked exactly the same as she remembered, except now, his once gray eyes were a ferocious and blazing red. He had given himself to his evil side and now was consumed by it. _

_Her rage began to boil dangerously. _

_She felt someone touch her sword arm. She looked and saw the young faun, Jonas, looking up at her with those big, innocent brown eyes._

"_Now, my queen, take what is yours and make things right again," his words came simply but were so powerful that they almost knocked her off her feet. With a barbaric cry, she and her comrades charged on the dukes, barons, earls, marquis, courtiers, and ladies-in-waiting alike. They hacked and mangled their way through the sea of nobles howling in pain. Their bloody massacre lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the only one that stood was Killian, his fiery gaze lazily fixated on her. She approached him slowly and stood before the dais._

"_Elaina, why didn't you just do as you were told?" his voice was quiet and serene, almost like a simple reprimand. "If you would just stayed in Telmar, this would have never happened." At that point he stood and kicked back the alabaster throne to reveal a mountain of small, pale skulls, dried with blood. "I warned you, didn't I, Elaina?" Her eyes were transfixed on the monstrosity before her. She felt a lurch of guilt and horror at what had happened. It was all her fault. _

_Killian began throwing insults at her. She was frozen. For some reason, his insults disappeared and he began to say her name over and over again. She began to shout back at him, screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs, her body still immovable. Finally, her immobility gave way and she brandished her sword before her hated brother and ran him through. _

_Nothing happened. _

_He reached out and took her by the shoulders and began shaking her and shaking her and..._

Elaina jumped awake and found that she was, in fact, being shaken. Edmund was gripping her shoulders. Once he saw her eyes open, he released her. She was sweating profusely. She must have fallen asleep and had the same dream again.

"You punched me in the stomach," Edmund said accusingly. He fell back onto the mattress with a thud. "That actually really hurt."

"I'm sorry."

"You were screaming at someone. Nightmare?" she turned her face toward him for a moment then rolled over onto her other side so she couldn't see him.

"Yes."

"What was it about?"

"I don't want to talk about it," came her reply after a few moments of silence.

"What's wrong, Ella?" Edmund asked after he had sidled up behind her.

"Nothing."

"What did he threaten you with?" Edmund had wondered why she had suddenly left and became engaged to someone else, but one day he realized that someone threatened her with something awful enough to make her leave. She turned her head quickly to try and look at him.

"What are you talking about?" her reply was waspish.

"I know you wouldn't have just left because someone told you to. How did Killian threaten you?" his voice was quiet and gentle. He knew that it would be hard for her to think about but he needed to know. She remained silent for some time before sitting up in bed, propping her elbows on the knees, and resting her head in her hands. Drawing a shaky breath, she told him

"He said that...for every day I refused...he'd torture and kill...a child," her voice was choked. "The first day, he'd kill one. The second, he'd kill two and so on." She turned to face him with tears in her eyes. "As much as I love you, Edmund, I could not allow that to happen." Edmund looked at her with understanding. He sat up as well and took her in his arms, wishing he could change everything that had happened to her and take away the fear.

"We'll make things right again. I swear."


	19. Chapter 19

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**A/N: yes, this used to be chapter 18 but i added another one so now its 19.**

* * *

Edmund knew that before they left, he needed to have a talk with the boy who he had discovered was his son. He walked around the palace, searching him out. He knew that this conversation would be incredibly awkward since they had only met a week ago, but he knew that this was something he needed to do, and wanted to do for that matter.

As Edmund was rounding a corner in the main southeast corridor, he found Mathias. The young prince of Telmar was peaking curiously behind an intricately woven tapestry depicting a white unicorn drinking from a blue pool of water. After a few moments of inspection, he let the wall-hanging fall back into place with an unsatisfied expression.

"Looking for something?" Edmund asked, causing Mathias to jump. The black-haired king let out a short laugh as he came up beside his son.

"Not really," he answered, still slightly startled. "I can't find any spy holes or secret passageways or anything."

"Of course not; behind a tapestry is the most obvious place to hide and incredibly cliché. We've tried to avoid the mundane here at Cair Paravel and any secret places are a little more difficult to find." Edmund told him.

"Well that does make sense." They continued for a short time to make small talk, speaking of the weather and other typically boring topics. Finally, they ran out of things to say to each other and Edmund sighed in the awkward silence.

"Mathias, I must apologize for my previous behavior," the king struggled to get the words right. "Quite obviously, I'm not very fond of Telmar."

"Neither am I." They both laughed uneasily. Edmund grew very serious and looking Mathias straight in the face, said,

"I love your mother with all of my heart and more. I will do everything I can in my power to protect her and you. I know that this isn't the typical father...son...thing...but—"

"I know what you're trying to say," Mathias interjected then offered his nervous father a smile. "And I appreciate it."

"Good," he replied after a moment's thought, returning the smile. "Because this was getting a little uncomfortable for the both of us, I'm sure." They both laughed.

And everything was good between them.

* * *

"The best place to attack from would be here but we're not taking an army with us," Elaina protested. "Once we can get inside we won't need to kill more than absolutely necessary."

"Yes," Peter argued. "But it's not like Killian is just going to let you waltz right on in there. He'll kill you and Edmund the second he sees you."

"That's why he won't see us," she pointed to the map of Dimitius rolled out on the desk. She rolled her eyes skyward and smacked her forehead with her palm. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before." They had been trying to figure out the best way to invade the island discreetly and up until now, they had made no progress. The past hour had been spent with the three of them poring over maps and groaning in frustration as they realized they had no clue what to do. "This cave right here has a secret passage that leads all the way to the servants' quarters in the castle. All we have to do is get in there, make ourselves look like servants, and find Killian." There was eagerness in her eyes as she stared at the layout. Peter turned the map around and analyzed it further. He opened his mouth several times, about to protest but could find nothing wrong with it. Finally he reluctantly nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes I see. But getting onto the island will be a bit of a problem. There's no way we could make port without being found out."

"I already have a plan for that," was all she said.

"So we're really going to do this," Edmund said from his seat. They turned and looked at him then looked back at each other.

"Yes Ed, we're really going to do this," Peter replied.

"Well it's about time."

* * *

The ship they hired was a run down, weather-beaten, hard driven beast of a thing. The sails were patched, the deck looked like it had not been cleaned in months and the crew was just as incredulously filthy. The captain's speech was so foul that he was the very epitome of the expression "mouth like a sailor". Elaina, Edmund and Peter had chosen this one particularly for the dilapidation of it. Who would suspect royalty of riding aboard such a disgusting vessel?

Peter watched his brother and Elaina closely as the three of them stood on the deck, looking out over the horizon, realizing something he truly had not before. It had not been some ridiculously strong infatuation as he thought it had been. Edmund really did love her. He watched out of the corner of his eye as they turned to each other grimly, a silent understanding passing between them. Edmund offered her a smile and she returned it. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Quite suddenly, enough that it nearly threw Edmund off balance, she threw her arms about his neck and kissed him. Peter turned away at that point, trying to block out his own memories of moments like that. In some way, he felt that if he was able to get revenge for Edmund and Elaina, something inside of him would be quieted down, and he could move on with his life, if just a small bit.

At the end of the day, the three of them made their way down into the hull of the ship and prepared to sleep. Outside of where the crew slept in hammocks in the cargo hold and the captain's personal quarters, the only other place to sleep was the galley which is where they had made their beds. Edmund pulled out the map of Dimitius they had taken from Peter's office in Narnia. He rolled it out on the wooden floor and weighted the corners with pots.

"So where are we getting in?" he asked, searching the edges of the island.

"This inlet right here is a natural harbor," she traced it with her finger then stopped on a certain point and tapped the page. "I nearly posted an entire legion here after we discovered that it was a regular trading place for pirates and others of such dishonest occupations. If I had we wouldn't be able to get onto Dimitius at all."

"Why didn't you?" Peter asked.

"Well—" she started, and then stopped. She looked at Edmund who returned it with confusion. Her face slowly went scarlet. "I had a...change of heart."

"A few skeletons in yer closet, eh?" they all jumped at the voice of the captain. He stepped closer and squatted down to where they sat on the floor. His black beard was incredibly scraggly and his eyes were beady and a murky brown. "Sorry, I didna mean ta startle ya, Yer Majesties. But there be a rather official lookin' ship comin' this way. If I'm not mistaken it be flyin' the Dimitian colors. The three of ye might wanna hide, an' fast." They all looked at each other for a second then back to the captain.

"How far away is she?" Edmund asked.

"'Bout a league or so by my reckonin'," he replied after a moment's thought. "We be carryin' a little bit o' cargo so we should be able to pass an inspection." Suddenly, he stood. "Follow me." He led them into his personal quarters and pulled back a terribly unclean rug to reveal a trapdoor. "I'd almost forgot 'bout this, haven't used it in years. It may be a little cramped, but it should be enough to keep the lot o' ya from being found." His eyes went wide. "Not that I been doin' anythin' to shame me name, sires, its jus' there fer extra cargo and me...personal effects."

Edmund and Peter looked at eachother for a moment and began laughing.

"Don't worry, captain. Your secrets are safe with us. After all, if not for your unholy actions in the past, this wonderful contraption would not be provided for us right now." Peter said, clapping him on the shoulder and making his way down into the dark compartment with Edmund and Elaina trailing close behind him.

"'Ey," he called. "Ya might want this. The light won't be visible to anyone up here." He lowered down a shielded lantern. "I'll come get ya after they're gone." With that, he shut the trapdoor and they heard him move the carpet back over it.

The lantern light cast an eerie glow on each of their faces as they looked at each other anxiously, each holding their breath. Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, the sound of heavy, metal footsteps grew closer from up outside somewhere. The door to the captain's office opened and the footsteps continued then stopped. It was silent for a moment then another set of footsteps was heard.

"That be all, milord," the captain said.

"Yes, everything seems to be in order." Elaina's face blanched and her eyes widened. Edmund mouthed the word 'what' to her and she shook her head. A furious expression came over her and she clenched her jaw. "Your papers are right here?"

"Yes, yes, here." There was a shuffling of feet and papers.

"Ah, yes. How is the wool business?"

"Rather slow this time o' year an' that be why we have such a small amount on board. I would've gotten cotton but fer some odd reason the price has reached ridiculous heights. So I'm stuck with wool. But still, I figures, it's not in high demand, so why stock up on it?"

"True. Alright, captain, you may proceed to the harbor. I hope you have better luck in Dimitius."

Once again the door opened and the heavy footsteps continued followed by the lighter steps until silence had returned. They remained mute and sat, waiting. After what seemed, again, hours the door opened, the rug was moved and moonlight filled the little compartment as the trapdoor was pulled up.

"Yer all clear up here," the captain said, helping Elaina out. "Sorta brief wasn't it? What a nice fella."

Elaina frowned, but said nothing. After the captain had left them and they had returned to the kitchen, she erupted in a myriad of curses. She was surprisingly good at cursing and her choice of vocabulary even caused Edmund's face to turn red. After a good amount of time, her oaths had dwindled down to the names of ancient gods from several countries.

"...Ahreddan, Darshan, and Dunixi!" she concluded, kicking a bag of flour halfway across the room. Peter and Edmund stared at her mortifyingly. "What?" she snapped.

"What was that about?" Edmund asked cautiously.

"That 'nice fella'...was Kemen," she replied, spitting the name out like it was fouler than anything she had just said.

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**A/N: there it is. I would really appreciate some reviews here, people. Just, you know, anything good would be nice. If you could just say something...it's not hard I promise. Review please :) **


	20. Chapter 20

Each of them stood at the railing of the ship, the hoods on their uniform gray cloaks pulled up so their faces remained in shadow. The island loomed ominously before them, a large, dark, blot in the pinks and golds of the fading twilight. The sweetly sensuous smell of the Tree of Ahreddan grew stronger still. Reminiscent and intoxicating. The sea sprayed them with a gentle kiss of salt water as the sailors rigged the masts or rowed or whatever it was sailors did.

All Edmund could think about was revenge.

He pictured Kemen's throat in under his foot, the traitor's eyes bulging and face turning blue. Or perhaps he would simply run him through with a broadsword. No, too simple. Kemen did not deserve an easy death. Maybe he would just tie him down and make thousands of simple cuts all over Kemen's body and let him bleed to death. Slow and painful. The king's eyes lit up at the thought.

Edmund grinned.

* * *

_Why am I here?_ Peter asked himself once more. _I have no real quarrel with these people. There is absolutely _no _need for _me _to fight. If I'm killed...Narnia can_not_ have a seven-year-old girl as the High Queen. Aslan knows, she'll make her first royal decree about petting zoos and chocolate.

* * *

_Her home. Right there. Exactly the same as she remembered it. What had she been expecting? A world of chaos that was what: hearing the clang of steel against steel, canon blasts, full fledged war. In fact, it was very quiet. Seeing it now, unchanged (at least from this distance)...

Maybe Killian was not such a bad king after all...

No matter. She was still going to kill him.

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**A/N: yeah i know, its just something short about what they're thinking before i finally get into the good part.**


	21. not a chapter

Sorry, its just an author's note...

Okay so I've been experiencing MAJOR writer's block with this...obviously. So that's why I am resorting to asking for some help. I know what I want to do, its just a matter of getting to that point from where I am. PLEASE please PLEASE, if you feel the desire to give me an idea, it would be VERY much appreciated.

Thanks...and, again, sorry that its just a note...

FM64


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